CATRALA NEWS 2013
The Connecticut General Assemby convened its 2013 Legislative Session on January 9th, 2013 and will adjourn on June 5th, 2013.
As of March 10th, 2013, the General Assembly and the Governor's Office have put forth several proposed bills that directly affect the vehicle lease and rental industries.
Stay tuned to CATRALA News for detailed updates on legislative proposals that are of interest to our industry.
2012 News and Happenings
CONNECTICUT GENERAL ASSEMBLY OFFICE of FISCAL ANALYSIS (OFA) Predicts $284 Million Deficit for Fiscal Year 2012-2013 as of April 30th, 2012.
Get the Facts at:
http://www.cga.ct.gov/ofa/
http://www.cga.ct.gov/ofa/
CT LAWMAKERS CONSIDERING A SPECIAL SESSION BEGINNING JUNE 25, 2012 TO ADDRESS BUDGET-RELATED ISSUES.
The Connecticut General Assembly wrapped up its 2012 Legislative Session on at midnight on Wednesday May 9th.
Bill Updates:
House Bill HB5291: AAC THE MINIMUM WAGE., To raise the minimum wage and base future raises on the consumer price index, remove the tip credit, and increase penalties for failure to pay the minimum wage. --dead for 2012 Session
WHY HB5291 MATTERS: All businesses in Connecticut can be adversely affected by minimum wage increases. Personnel expenses are typically a business's largest single expense. Any mandated raise in wages at the bottom can have an adverse ripple affect on the entire pay scale and dramatically increase the cost of doing business in Connecticut. There can also be unintended negative consequences for lower-wage employees as businesses curtail or suspend filling entry-level or temporary positions due to increased costs.
House Bill HB5458: AAC MUNICIPAL AUTOMATED TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT SAFETY DEVICES AT CERTAIN INTERSECTIONS., To authorize municipalities to use automated traffic enforcement safety devices. --dead for 2012 Session
WHY HB5458 MATTERS: "Automated Traffic Enforcement Safety Devices" is a code phrase for Traffic Enforcement Cameras--i.e cameras that snap pictures of vehicles involved in an alleged traffic violation. These cameras can only identify vehicles, not the alleged offenders driving those vehicles. Lease and Rental operators could be "on the hook" for customer violations if this bill passes without language that protects Lease and Rental operators from violations that target vehicle ownership only.
House Bill HB5405: AA ESTABLISHING A STATE-WIDE MILL RATE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES AND AMENDING THE DEFINITION OF ANTIQUE, RARE, OR SPECIAL INTEREST MOTOR VEHICLES. To simplify the registration of vehicles and narrow property tax benefits for antique cars. --dead for 2012 Session
WHY HB5405 MATTERS: It is almost a certainty that one or more bills that aim to simplify the property tax system on vehicles will be put forward during each legislative session. Almost as certain is the fact that such a bill does not go very far and usually stalls in the Legislature and makes it no further.
Despite this, it is a fact that administering Connecticut's vehicle property tax system can be complex and costly for Lease and Rental companies, especially those who transfer registrations from vehicle-to-vehicle to save costs. CATRALA is currently working with leaders at the Connecticut DMV to set up a working group with representatives (mainly tax collectors and assessors) from various Connecticut tax districts. We'll keep you posted on progress, but the purpose of such a group is to establish a cordial and positive working relationship between CATRALA member-companies and the folks who administer the property tax system in the various cities and towns in CT. The fact is, the current system can be just as difficult and unwieldy to deal with for the people at the city or town level. Our thought is that if towns can better understand fleet companies' priorities and procedures, and fleet companies can better understand the cities' and towns' issues and concerns, it can be of great benefit for all parties involved.
DMV HAPPENINGS
CATRALA meets with DMV Commissioner Melody Currey
Members of CATRALA of Connecticut's Board of Directors met with Commissioner Melody Currey of the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles, along with some of DMV's top management on April 3rd, 2012.
Among the topics discussed were title turnaround time, the Online Registration System, and non-consensual towing notification. The meeting was cordial and productive and went a long way toward building upon the already sound working relationship that exists between CATRALA and the DMV with regard to issues of concern for both organizations.
CATRALA Participates in DMV's Technology Modernization Initiative
On April 2nd thru 4th, 2012, CATRALA along with the Connecticut Automotive Retailers Association (CARA) and various technology vendors participated in a planning and implementation session for Connecticut DMV's Technology Modernization Initiative. DMV Management made it clear that they are intent on designing the next generation of automated systems to be more customer-friendly and efficient, and as such asked for CATRALA's and CARA's help in identifying current problems and working on solutions as the new system is implemented. As the new system (which will include an updated On-line Registration product) is implemented, CATRALA will continue to work closely with DMV to ensure that our member-companies' concerns are considered and addressed.
