Legislation overhauling the Bureau of Motor Vehicles' registration and fee system is inching closer to law as the Senate approved the bill Tuesday. Lawmakers from both parties say the change is long overdue.
The BMV has been under fire for a couple years, issuing millions of dollars in refunds after a series of under- and over-charges were uncovered. New leadership at the agency – installed last year – worked with lawmakers over the summer to completely rewrite its registration and fee system. The result, says Sen. Carlin Yoder, R-Middlebury, is a nearly 500-page long piece of legislation.
"Through this very thick bill, it results in the reduction or elimination of 163 BMV fees," Yoder says. "It allows for a BMV fee chart that fits on one page, so when you go to the BMV, you no longer see this wall of different fees and charges."
One example of this reduction: The measure cuts the number of ways to register a vehicle from 191 to 23. Yoder says the bill is also revenue-neutral – while eight fees would increase, more than two million Hoosiers would see a decrease in the fees they pay.
The Senate approved the bill 45-5. It will likely go to a conference committee.