Fw: Fwd: CCCHR - Passing Some Info

Fellow VPCCC Delegates:FYI --  I may have also received Fred's but lost track of it somehow.

  Having been in Germany, where people actually pay attention to red lights, I don't share Fred's view of that.

Thanks Fred and Don!!!!

Larry

 

 

From: Don Baker

Sent: Monday, January 25, 2016 2:21 PM

To: lhanson1@cox.net

Subject: Fwd: CCCHR - Passing Some Info

 

Larry:
This fwd. e-mail has  some useful information from Fred Fann on proposed legislation.
Don Baker

 

----------Original Message----------

From: Brittany White
Date: Jan 24, 2016 7:17:24 PM
Subject: CCCHR - Passing Some Info
 

CCCHR Members,

 

Just wanted to forward an email from the CCCCV. This is a forwarded email from Fred Fann, President of the Car Club Council of Central Virginia. Quite a bit of good legislative information here. 

Thanks,

Brittany White

CCCHR Secretary

 

 

 

From: Fred J Fann [mailto:fredfann@comcast.net]
Sent: Sunday, January 24, 2016 4:31 PM
To: Fred J Fann
Subject: Car Club Cuoncil January 24 meeting has been moved to February 29th

 

The General Assembly is in session and the Virginia Association of Car Councils website has the listing of all auto-related bills at http://vaacc.org/legis1.html. I have gone through all legislation to compile the list of the bills. The most interesting bill is HB 1119 sponsored by Delegate Nick Rush. This bill is what I call the freedom of exhaust bill because if it became law you would be able to have aftermarket exhaust parts on your vehicle as long as the police do not think the noise level is excessive. Current law only permits exhaust parts that do not have a noise level above factory exhaust. I spoke with the legislative aide for Delegate Rush who informed me he didn't think the bill had much of a chance. The State Police are against the bill and Rush was contacted by SEMA, who want to bring back the old decibel meter test for exhaust. A decibel meter test bill failed years ago and there simply isn't funding for the meters. Instead legislators are looking at spending money for police body cameras.

 

I explained to the aide that we car hobbyists would like the current pre-50 exhaust freedom of choice extended to the 1974 model year – before catalytic converters and other federal emissions equipment was required. He asked that I send an email with the details and they will look over after the session. Delegate Fariss and Senator Black sponsored the pre-50 exhaust legislation that became law last year. Neither has responded to my letters or emails about a pre-75 bill. I still remain hopeful that in the next couple of years we will get exhaust choice of freedom in Virginia simply because a lot of people – and people in the legislature – realize that Virginia's exhaust law is outdated.

 

Now for the fun part as I list the strange and unusual bills that get introduced. Keep in mind that most of the bills get killed and never make it into law (something we can be thankful for).

 

Bills have been introduced to allow motorcycles to have five instead of four front lights. It is currently illegal to have more than four front lights on a vehicle in Virginia. Also a bill was introduced allowing motorcycles to go over all toll roads and bridges without paying any toll. Another bill would allow people 21 and over to ride motorcycles without a helmet – those bills have been killed in the past.

 

There must be a dozen or more bills to allow tickets to be mailed to people who pass stopped school buses. There has been a lot of talk about installing video equipment on school buses to stop people from going around the stopped buses. I'd like to hear from the people who pass stopped, lights flashing school buses – I want to know why they go around them.

 

There are a few bills that would raise the speeding limit for getting a reckless driving ticket from 80 mph to 85 mph. There is a bill to allow a jury to find someone guilty of improper driving for a reckless driving offense.

 

And the bills to fine people for smoking in a vehicle with a kid are back – this time for kids 8 and younger.

 

There are a few bills to prevent a person registered as a sex offender from buying a special license plate from DMV. The license plate in question bears the legend "KIDS FIRST".

 

I didn't know kids could play with toy cars/vehicles on streets where the speed limit is 25 or less – a bill would end that and prohibit kids with toy vehicles from playing on any street.

 

Virginia isn't Europe – a bill has been introduced that would require all vehicles to burn headlights at all times including during the day. I've done some research on this and places where they have this law people complain about headlight glare and the fact that motorcycles are harder to notice. Hopefully this bill will die in committee.

 

There is a bill to repeal the use of the hated photo red traffic light program. In the past bills to repeal have failed, but we can hope.

 

There are bills that would require a car dealer to disclose that the vehicle for sale has been recalled.

 

A motor vehicle bumper bill would reduce the required bumper height from 14 to 9 inches from the ground. If this becomes law then vehicle bumper heights must be from 9 to 22 inches from the ground.

 

A bill has been introduced for a new special license plate with "STOP GUN VIOLENCE". As you know there are many bills in the Assembly this session that are both gun control and pro-gun. Another license plate bill would allow the use of a logo or emblem on the Sons of Confederate Veterans special license plates. "PROTECT POLLINATORS" – this bill changes the special license plates for Protect Pollinators from nonrevenue sharing to revenue sharing and provides for the moneys to be allocated to the Virginia Department of Transportation to aid in the Pollinator Habitat Program.

 

Civil asset forfeiture is coming under fire in Virginia. This program allows the police/government to seize property even if a person has not been charged with a crime. Bills have been introduced to prevent the forfeiture unless the person has been found guilty of a crime.

 

There are a lot more bills of interest. As a citizen of this state I think you should go to http://lis.virginia.gov/ and click on all bills and resolutions – take a look at what those who are supposed to represent you have introduced and wish to become law. I'm sure you will find several bills of interest.