SB3091 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB096 16332 AJT 31594 b

96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2009 and 2010
SB3091

Introduced 2/8/2010, by Sen. Pamela J. Althoff

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

See Index

Amends the Snowmobile Registration and Safety Act. Provides that a person convicted of operating a snowmobile required to be registered and numbered under the Act shall be fined $250 for a first offense and $500 for a second or subsequent offense. Raises the new, transfer-renewal, and renewal snowmobile registration fee from $18 to $30 and to $45 for the registration years beginning on or after January 1, 2017. Provides that 50 percent (rather than 33 percent) of those collected fees and trail use sticker fees shall be deposited into the Snowmobile Trail Establishment Fund, a special fun in the State treasury. Provides that snowmobiles that are not registered and numbered and that are not exempt from the registration and numbering requirement are required to display a trail use sticker, and the cost of the sticker is $25. Provides that no person shall operate, register or maintain registration of, and no owner shall permit another person to operate, register or maintain registration of, a snowmobile in this State unless the snowmobile is covered by a liability insurance policy. Provides that a person convicted of violating the mandatory insurance provision is guilty of a petty offense and shall be required to pay a fine in excess of $500, but not more than $1,000.

CORRECTIONAL BUDGET AND IMPACT NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning transportation.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Snowmobile Registration and Safety Act is amended by changing Sections 3-1, 3-2, 3-5, 3-8, 3-11, and 9-2 and by adding Sections 3-12 and 3-13 as follows:

(625 ILCS 40/3-1) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 603-1)

Sec. 3-1. Operation of Unnumbered Snowmobiles.

(a) Except as hereinafter provided, no person shall, after the effective date of this Act, operate any snowmobile within this State unless such snowmobile has been registered and numbered or a trail use sticker is displayed in accordance with the provisions of this Article, and unless (1) the certificate of number awarded to such snowmobile is in full force and effect.

(b) A person convicted of violating this Section is guilty of a petty offense and shall be fined $250 for a first offense and $500 for a second or subsequent offense.

(Source: P.A. 81-702.)

(625 ILCS 40/3-2) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 603-2)

Sec. 3-2. Identification Number Application. The owner of each snowmobile requiring numbering by this State shall file an application for number with the Department on forms approved by it. The application shall be signed by the owner of the snowmobile and shall be accompanied by a fee of $30 $18. When a snowmobile dealer sells a snowmobile the dealer shall, at the time of sale, require the buyer to complete an application for the registration certificate, collect the required fee and mail the application and fee to the Department no later than 14 days after the date of sale. Combination application-receipt forms shall be provided by the Department and the dealer shall furnish the buyer with the completed receipt showing that application for registration has been made. This completed receipt shall be in the possession of the user of the snowmobile until the registration certificate is received. Except as provided in Section 3-12 of this Act, no No snowmobile dealer may charge an additional fee to the buyer for performing this service required under this subsection. However, no purchaser exempted under Section 3-11 of this Act shall be charged any fee or be subject to the other requirements of this Section. The application form shall so state in clear language the requirements of this Section and the penalty for violation near the place on the application form provided for indicating the intention to register in another jurisdiction. Each dealer shall maintain, for one year, a record in a form prescribed by the Department for each snowmobile sold. These records shall be open to inspection by the Department. Upon receipt of the application in approved form the Department shall enter the same upon the records of its office and issue to the applicant a certificate of number stating the number awarded to the snowmobile and the name and address of the owner.

For the registration years beginning on or after January 1, 2017, the application shall be signed by the owner of the snowmobile and shall be accompanied by a fee of $45.

(Source: P.A. 92-174, eff. 7-26-01.)

(625 ILCS 40/3-5) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 603-5)

Sec. 3-5. Transfer of Identification Number. The purchaser of a snowmobile shall, within 15 days after acquiring same, make application to the Department for the transfer to him of the certificate of number issued to the snowmobile, giving his name, his address and the number of the snowmobile. The purchaser shall apply for a transfer-renewal for a fee of $30 $18 for approximately 3 years. All transfers will bear September 30 expiration dates in the calendar year of expiration. Upon receipt of the application and fee, the Department shall transfer the certificate of number issued to the snowmobile to the new owner. Unless the application is made and fee paid within 30 days, the snowmobile shall be deemed to be without certificate of number and it shall be unlawful for any person to operate the snowmobile until the certificate is issued.

For the registration years beginning on or after January 1, 2017, the purchaser shall apply for a transfer-renewal for a fee of $45 for approximately 3 years.

(Source: P.A. 92-174, eff. 7-26-01.)

(625 ILCS 40/3-8) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 603-8)

Sec. 3-8. Certificate of Number. Every certificate of number awarded under this Act shall continue in full force and effect for approximately 3 years unless sooner terminated or discontinued in accordance with this Act. All new certificates issued will bear September 30 expiration dates in the calendar year 3 years after the issuing date. Provided however, that the Department may, for purposes of implementing this Section, adopt rules for phasing in the issuance of new certificates and provide for 1, 2 or 3 year expiration dates and pro-rated payments or charges for each registration.

All certificates shall be renewed for 3 years from the nearest September 30 for a fee of $30 $18. All certificates will be considered invalid after October 15 of the year of expiration. All certificates expiring in a given year shall be renewed between April 1 and September 30 of that year, in order to allow sufficient time for processing.

The Department shall issue "registration expiration decals" with all new certificates of number, all certificates of number transferred and renewed, and all certificates of number renewed. The decals issued for each year shall be of a different and distinct color from the decals of each year currently displayed. The decals shall be affixed to each side of the cowling of the snowmobile in the manner prescribed by the rules and regulations of the Department. The Department shall fix a day and month of the year on which certificates of number due to expire shall lapse and no longer be of any force and effect unless renewed pursuant to this Act.

No number or registration expiration decal, except a sticker or number which may be required by a political subdivision, municipality, or state, other than the registration expiration decal issued to a snowmobile or granted reciprocity pursuant to this Act, shall be painted, attached, or otherwise displayed on either side of the cowling of such snowmobile.

A dealer engaged in the manufacture, sale, or leasing of snowmobiles required to be numbered hereunder, upon application to the Department upon forms prescribed by it, may obtain certificates of number for use in the testing or demonstrating of such snowmobiles upon payment of $30 $18 for each registration. Certificates of number so issued may be used by the applicant in the testing or demonstrating of snowmobiles by temporary placement of the registration expiration decals assigned by such certificates on the snowmobile so tested or demonstrated.

For the registration years beginning on or after January 1, 2017, every certificate of number awarded under this Section shall be accompanied by a fee of $45.

(Source: P.A. 92-174, eff. 7-26-01.)

(625 ILCS 40/3-11) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 603-11)

Sec. 3-11. Exception from numbering provisions of this Act.) A snowmobile shall not be required to be numbered under this Act if it is:

A. Owned and used by the United States, another state, or a political subdivision thereof, but such snowmobiles shall display the name of the owner on the cowling thereof.

B. (Blank). Covered by a valid registration or license of another state, province or country which is the domicile of the owner of the snowmobile and is not operated within this State on more than 30 consecutive days in any calendar year.

C. Owned and operated on lands owned by the owner or operator or on lands to which he has a contractual right other than as a member of a club or association, provided the snowmobile is not operated elsewhere within the state.

D. Used only on international or national competition circuits in events for which written permission has been obtained by the sponsoring or sanctioning body from the governmental unit having jurisdiction over the location of any event held in this State.

E. Owned by persons domiciled in Illinois but used entirely in another jurisdiction when such owner has complied with the provisions of Section 3-2 of this Act.

F. Designed for use by small children primarily as a toy and used only on private property and not on any public use trail.

(Source: P.A. 92-174, eff. 7-26-01.)

(625 ILCS 40/3-12 new)

Sec. 3-12. Trail use stickers.

(a) As used in this Section, "public snowmobile corridor" means a snowmobile trail or other established snowmobile corridor, which includes but is not limited to recreation areas accessible from a snowmobile trail, that is open to the public.

(b) Except as provided in subsection (d) of this Section, no person who is the owner of a snowmobile may operate, or give permission for another person to operate, a snowmobile on a public snowmobile corridor in this State unless a numbered trail use sticker issued under this subsection is displayed on the snowmobile.

(c) The fee for a trail use sticker issued for a snowmobile under subsection (b) of this Section is $25 per registration year. A trail use sticker issued for such a snowmobile may be issued only by the Department and persons appointed by the Department and expires on June 30 of each registration year.

(d) A snowmobile that is registered and numbered in accordance with the provisions of this Article or that is exempt from registration under subsection 3-11 of this Article is exempt from having a trail use sticker displayed under subsection (b) of this Section.

(e) The Department may appoint any person who is not an employee of the Department as the Department's agent to issue trail use stickers and collect the fees for the stickers. Any person, including the Department, who issues a trail use sticker shall collect in addition to the fee under subsection (b) of this Section an issuing fee of 75 cents. The agent may retain 50 cents of the issuing fee to compensate the agent for the agent's services in issuing the sticker.

(f) The Department shall establish by rule procedures for issuing trail use stickers, and the Department may promulgate rules regulating the activities of persons who are authorized to be agents under this Section.

(625 ILCS 40/3-13 new)

Sec. 3-13. Mandatory liability insurance.

(a) No person shall operate, register, or maintain registration of, and no owner shall permit another person to operate, register or maintain registration of, a snowmobile in this State unless the snowmobile is covered by a liability insurance policy.

The insurance policy shall be issued in amounts no less than the minimum amounts set for bodily injury or death and for destruction of property under Section 7-203 of the Illinois Vehicle Code, and shall be issued in accordance with the requirements of Sections 143a and 143a-2 of the Illinois Insurance Code, as amended. No insurer other than an insurer authorized to do business in this State shall issue a policy pursuant to this Section for any snowmobile subject to registration and numbering under this Act. Nothing herein shall deprive an insurer of any policy defense available at common law.

(b) Proof of insurance as required by this Section shall be produced and displayed by the owner or operator of the snowmobile upon request to any law enforcement officer or to any person who has suffered or claims to have suffered either personal injury or property damage as a result of the operation of the snowmobile by the owner or operator.

(c) Except as provided in subsection (d), any operator of a snowmobile subject to registration and numbering under this Act who is convicted of violating subsection (a) of this Section is guilty of a petty offense and shall be required to pay a fine in excess of $500, but not more than $1,000. However, no person charged with violating this Section shall be convicted if such person produces in court satisfactory evidence that at the time of the arrest the snowmobile was covered by a liability insurance policy in accordance with subsection (a) of this Section. The chief judge of each circuit may designate an officer of the court to review the documentation demonstrating that at the time of arrest the snowmobile was covered by a liability insurance policy in accordance with subsection (a) of this Section.

(d) A person who (i) has not previously been convicted of or received a disposition of court supervision for violating subsection (a) of this Section and (ii) produces at his or her court appearance satisfactory evidence that the snowmobile is covered, as of the date of the court appearance, by a liability insurance policy in accordance with Section 7-601 of the Illinois Vehicle Code shall, for a violation of this Section, pay a fine of $100 and receive a disposition of court supervision. The person must, on the date that the period of court supervision is scheduled to terminate, produce satisfactory evidence that the snowmobile was covered by the required liability insurance policy during the entire period of court supervision.

An officer of the court designated under subsection (c) may also review liability insurance documentation under this subsection (d) to determine if the snowmobile is, as of the date of the court appearance, covered by a liability insurance policy in accordance with Section 7-601 of the Illinois Vehicle Code. The officer of the court shall also determine, on the date the period of court supervision is scheduled to terminate, whether the snowmobile was covered by the required policy during the entire period of court supervision.

(625 ILCS 40/9-2) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 609-2)

Sec. 9-2. Special fund. There is created a special fund in the State Treasury to be known as the Snowmobile Trail Establishment Fund. Fifty Thirty-three percent of each new, transfer-renewal, and renewal registration, and trail use sticker fee collected under Sections 3-2, 3-5, and 3-8, and 3-12 of this Act shall be deposited in the fund. The fund shall be administered by the Department and shall be used for disbursement, upon written application to and subsequent approval by the Department, to nonprofit snowmobile clubs and organizations for construction, management, maintenance, and rehabilitation of snowmobile trails and areas for the use of snowmobiles, including plans and specifications, engineering surveys and supervision where necessary. The Department shall promulgate such rules or regulations as it deems necessary for the administration of the fund.

(Source: P.A. 92-174, eff. 7-26-01.)