PRINTER'S NO. 401
No. 34 Session of 1995
INTRODUCED BY M. N. WRIGHT, MICOZZIE, GEIST, COLAFELLA AND
GAMBLE, JANUARY 27, 1995
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, JANUARY 27, 1995
A RESOLUTION
1 Directing the House of Representatives to conduct a study of the
2 number of vehicles being operated without insurance and/or
3 registrations on Pennsylvania's highways and the risk that is
4 posed for the citizens of this Commonwealth.
5 WHEREAS, Highway safety and insurance policy rates for all
6 Pennsylvanians are seriously affected by large numbers of
7 uninsured motorists in Southeastern Pennsylvania; and
8 WHEREAS, A 1994 report by the Legislative Budget and Finance
9 Committee (LBFC) stated that, in over a two-year period from
10 March 1992 to March 1994, the Philadelphia police issued 57,000
11 tickets amounting to $21.2 million to drivers who were unable to
12 provide proof of insurance when stopped for a moving violation;
13 and
14 WHEREAS, The LBFC report further stated that 78% of these
15 fines, or $16.5 million, remained unpaid as of April 1994; and
16 WHEREAS, Even when drivers pay the tickets, the fine for
17 driving without liability insurance is $300 plus costs and fees,
18 which is far less than the cost of purchasing insurance; and
1 WHEREAS, The LBFC report recommends that the Department of
2 Transportation develop new regulations to ensure that insurance
3 companies provide the agency with timely status information on
4 policies; and
5 WHEREAS, The report places the percentage of registered but
6 uninsured vehicles in the Philadelphia area at 27% in 1992, much
7 higher than the Statewide average of 7%; and
8 WHEREAS, The Department of Transportation estimates that the
9 lag time between a license plate suspension notice and the
10 notice to the local police of such a suspension is 28 days after
11 the suspension becomes effective if the license plate has not
12 been received by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles; and
13 WHEREAS, A rash of thefts of license plates and corners of
14 plates containing the Department of Transportation renewal
15 sticker have been reported in the Philadelphia region; therefore
16 be it
17 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives, recognizing the
18 importance of maintaining safe highways and road conditions and
19 the need to protect the safety of motorists, direct the Speaker
20 to appoint a bipartisan Select Committee on Investigating
21 Uninsured and Unregistered Vehicles. The committee shall be
22 composed of two members of the majority party and one member of
23 the minority party of the Transportation Committee and two
24 members of the majority party and one member of the minority
25 party of the Insurance Committee, and one of the six members
26 shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of
27 Representatives as chairman; and be it further
28 RESOLVED, That the committee shall conduct a study of the
29 problem and the possible need for legislative action; and be it
30 further
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1 RESOLVED, That the committee may hold hearings, take
2 testimony and make its investigations at such places as it deems
3 necessary in this Commonwealth. Each member of the committee
4 shall have power to administer oaths and affirmations to
5 witnesses appearing before the committee; and be it further
6 RESOLVED, That the committee report to the House of
7 Representatives on its activities, findings and recommendations
8 in six months and shall issue interim reports to the House of
9 Representatives as the committee deems necessary.
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