Budget Amendment ID: FY2027-S4-866

OTH 866

Ending Debt-Based Driving

Mr. Cyr moved that the proposed new text be amended by adding the following sections:-

SECTION X. Section 20G of chapter 90 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2024 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 6 and 7, the words "the license to operate a motor vehicle or".

SECTION X. Section 20H of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 3, the words "Port Authority" and inserting in place thereof the following words:- Department of Transportation.

SECTION X. Said section 20H of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out, in lines 5, 6 and 14, each time it appears, the word "authority" and inserting in place thereof, in each instance, the following word:- department.

SECTION X. Said section 20H of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out, in line 7, the words "a license to operate a motor vehicle or".

SECTION X. Clause (6) of subsection (A) of section 3 of chapter 90C is hereby amended by striking out subpart (a) and inserting in place thereof the following subpart:--

(a) If a violator fails either to pay the full amount of the scheduled assessment to the registrar or to request a noncriminal hearing within 20 days of the date of the citation plus such grace period as the registrar shall allow, or fails to appear for a noncriminal hearing before a magistrate or a justice at the time required after having been given notice of such hearing either personally or by first class mail directed to such violator’s mail address as reported to the registrar and after notice of such failure has been given to the registrar by the clerk-magistrate, the registrar shall notify such violator by first class mail directed to such violator’s mail address that unless and until the violator pays to the registrar the full amount of the scheduled or imposed assessments for such civil motor vehicle infractions, plus any late or other administrative fees provided for by law or regulation, any registration of a motor vehicle issued to such violator by the registrar shall not be renewed upon or after the expiration date of such registration, unless such fees are waived in whole or in part by the registrar.

SECTION X Section 2A of chapter 211D is hereby amended by striking out the last sentence of subsection (h).

SECTION X. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, within 90 days of the effective date of this Act, the registrar of motor vehicles shall reinstate all licenses, privileges to operate a motor vehicle, and registrations no longer subject to suspension, nonrenewal, or revocation after passage of this Act. The registrar shall notify such individuals by first class mail of such reinstatement, along with an account of any unpaid assessments, and instructions on how to pay such assessments. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation shall, within one year of the effective date of this Act, update the regulations contained in 700 C.M.R.7.00 et seq. to permit any individual owing tolls, fines, fees, or penalties under the EZDriveMA program to: (a) request a payment plan for financial hardship under which payments shall not exceed two percent of the individual’s non-exempt monthly income, provided that license suspension, license nonrenewal, and registration suspension shall not be imposed as a penalty for default; or (b) establish a rebuttable presumption of waiver of said debts by submitting a declaration that they are a recipient of any needs-based public assistance or that their income and assets are exempt pursuant to section 34 of chapter 235.