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--- version:Edition 1+++ version:Filed@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINASESSION 2025-S 1-SENATE BILL 694+S D+SENATE BILL DRS35248-MWa-65AShort Title: Remove Barriers to Employment from Court Debt. (Public)Sponsors: Senators Sawrey, Britt, and Daniel (Primary Sponsors).-Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate-March 26, 2025-*S694-v-1*+Referred to:++*DRS35248-MWa-65A*A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1AN ACT TO REMOVE BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT DUE TO COURT DEBT AND TO 2APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO IMPLEMENT A TEXT REMINDER SYSTEM FOR COURT 3@@ -37,14 +37,18 @@(4) demonstrates to the court that his failure to pay the penalty, fine, or costs was 27not willful and that he is making a good faith effort to pay or that the penalty, 28fine, or costs should be remitted. 29-Upon receipt of notice from the court that the person has satisfied the c onditions of this 30-subsection applicable to histhe person's case, the Division must restore the person's license as 31+Upon receipt of notice from the court that the person has satisfied the conditions of this 30+subsection applicable to histhe person's case, the Division must restore the person 's license as 31provided in subsection (c). In addition, if the person whose license is revoked is not a resident of 32-this State, the Division may notify the driver licensing agency in the person's state of residence 33+this State, the Division may notify the driver licensing agency in the person 's state of residence 33that the person's license to drive in this State has been revoked. 34… 35-General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025-Page 2 Senate Bill 694-First Edition+FILED SENATE+Mar 25, 2025+S.B. 694+PRINCIPAL CLERK+General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025+Page 2 DRS35248-MWa-65A(b2) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, a license revoked pursuant only 1to subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of this section, unless that revocation is related to an offense 2under G.S. 20-138.1, shall be restored after 36 months have passed following the date of the 3@@ -54,7 +58,7 @@Upon termination of suspensions pursuant to this subsection, the Division shall provide notice 7to each person whose license suspension was terminated by first-class mail to the address on file 8with the Division. The notice shall inform the person of the other legal consequences associated 9-with continued failure to pay fines and the options for resolution of any fines an d fees that they 10+with continued failure to pay fines and the options for resolution of any fines and fees that they 10owe. The Division shall post information to its website about the termination of suspensions 11pursuant to this subsection. 12The Administrative Office of the Courts and the Division of Motor Vehicles shall develop a 13@@ -62,7 +66,7 @@(c) If the person satisfies the conditions of subsection (b) that are applicable to histhe 15person's case before the effective date of the revocation order, the revocation order and any 16entries on histhe person's driving record relating to it shall be deleted and the person does not 17-have to pay the restoration fee set by G.S. 20-7(i1). For all other revocation orders issued 18+have to pay the restoration fee set by G.S. 20-7(i1). For all other revocation orders issued 18pursuant to this section, G.S. 50-13.12 or G.S. 110-142.2, the person must pay the restoration fee 19and satisfy any other applicable requirements of this Article before the person may be relicensed. 20(d) To facilitate the prompt return of licenses and to prevent unjustified charges of driving 21@@ -75,7 +79,7 @@(f) If a license is revoked under subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of this section, and for 28no other reason, the person subject to the order may apply to the court for a limited driving 29privilege valid for up to one year or until any fine, penalty, or court costs ordered by the court 30-are paid. The court m ay grant the limited driving privilege in the same manner and under the 31+are paid. The court may grant the limited driving privilege in the same manner and under the 31terms and conditions prescribed in G.S. 20-16.1. A person is eligible to apply for a limited driving 32privilege under this subsection only if the person has not had a limited driving privilege granted 33under this subsection within the three years prior to application." 34@@ -97,7 +101,7 @@infraction, the court must report a failure to pay the applicable penalty and costs to the Division 50of Motor Vehicles as specified in G.S. 20-24.2." 51General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025-Senate Bill 694-First Edition Page 3+DRS35248-MWa-65A Page 3SECTION 1.(d) This section becomes effective December 1, 2025, and applies to 1license revocations issued before, on, or after that date. 23@@ -109,17 +113,17 @@were terminated, disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender, and zip code of 9residence of the person with the suspension; the length of the suspension; the 10charge; the charge level; and court. 11-(2) The total number of people whose licenses were reinstated, dis aggregated by 12+(2) The total number of people whose licenses were reinstated, disaggregated by 12race, ethnicity, gender, and zip code of residence. 13(3) The total number and amount of fees, including reinstatement fees, that were 14waived. 15(4) The total amount of fines and fees related to a prosecution of Driving While 16License Revoked that were waived. 17-SECTION 2.(b) Article 2 of Chapter 20 of the General Statutes is amended by 18+SECTION 2.(b) Article 2 of Chapter 20 of the General Statutes is amended by 18adding a new section to read: 19"§ 20-24.4. Data collection. 20The Administrative Office of the Courts shall collect data related to compliance and 21-collections from cou rts that adjudicate motor vehicle offenses. All data presented shall be 22+collections from courts that adjudicate motor vehicle offenses. All data presented shall be 22disaggregated by county, court, charge, as well as demographic information about the person 23against whom the fine or fee was levied, or who was prosecuted, including race, and gender. At 24a minimum, the data collected shall include all of the following: 25@@ -140,7 +144,7 @@40CONFORMING AMENDMENTS 41SECTION 4.(a) G.S. 20-13.2(e) reads as rewritten: 42-"(e) Before the Division restores a driver's license that has been suspended or revoked 43+"(e) Before the Division restores a driver 's license that has been suspended or revoked 43under any provision of this Article, other than G.S. 20-24.1, Article, the person seeking to have 44his driver's license restored shall submit to the Division proof that he has notified his insurance 45agent or company of his seeking the restoration and that he is financially responsible. Proof of 46@@ -148,20 +152,20 @@(1) A written certificate or electronically -transmitted facsimile thereof from any 48insurance carrier duly authorized to do business in this State certifying that 49there is in effect a nonfleet private passenger motor vehicle liability policy for 50-the benefit of the person required to furnish proof of financial responsibilit y. 51-General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025-Page 4 Senate Bill 694-First Edition+the benefit of the person required to furnish proof of financial responsibility. 51+General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025+Page 4 DRS35248-MWa-65AThe certificate or facsimile shall state the effective date and expiration date of 1the nonfleet private passenger motor vehicle liability policy and shall state the 2date that the certificate or facsimile is issued. The certificate or facsimile shall 3remain effective proof of financial responsibility for a period of 30 4consecutive days following the date the certificate or facsimile is issued but 5shall not in and of itself constitute a binder or policy of insurance or 6-(2) A binder for or policy of nonflee t private passenger motor vehicle liability 7+(2) A binder for or policy of nonfleet private passenger motor vehicle liability 7insurance under which the applicant is insured, provided that the binder or 8policy states the effective date and expiration date of the nonfleet private 9passenger motor vehicle liability policy. 10-The preceding pro visions of this subsection do not apply to applicants who do not own 11+The preceding provisions of this subsection do not apply to applicants who do not own 11currently registered motor vehicles and who do not operate nonfleet private passenger motor 12vehicles that are owned by other persons and that are not insured under commercial motor vehicle 13liability insurance policies. In such cases, the applicant shall sign a written certificate to that 14@@ -172,13 +176,13 @@the definition ascribed to it in Article 40 of General Statute Chapter 58. 19The Commissioner may require that certificates required by this subsection be on a form 20approved by the Commissioner. The financial responsibility required by this subsection shall be 21-kept in effect for not less than three years after the date that the license is restored. Failure to 22+kept in effect for not less than three years after the date that the license is restored. Failure to 22maintain financial responsibility as required by this subsection shall be grounds for suspending 23the restored driver's license for a period of thirty (30) days. Nothing in this subsection precludes 24any person from showing proof of financial responsibility in any other manner authorized by 25Articles 9A and 13 of this Chapter." 26SECTION 4.(b) G.S. 20-19(k) reads as rewritten: 27-"(k) Before the Division restores a driver's license that has been suspen ded or revoked 28+"(k) Before the Division restores a driver 's license that has been suspended or revoked 28under G.S. 20-138.5(d), or under any provision of this Article, other than G.S. 20-24.1, Article, 29the person seeking to have the person's driver's license restored shall submit to the Division proof 30that the person has notified the person's insurance agent or company that the person is seeking 31@@ -187,40 +191,40 @@(1) A written certificate or electronically -transmitted facsimile thereof from any 34insurance carrier duly authorized to do business in this State certifying that 35there is in effect a nonfleet private passenger motor vehicle liability policy for 36-the benefit of the person required to furnish proof of financial responsibi lity. 37+the benefit of the person required to furnish proof of financial responsibility. 37The certificate or facsimile shall state the effective date and expiration date of 38the nonfleet private passenger motor vehicle liability policy and shall state the 39date that the certificate or facsimile is issued. The certificate or facsimile shall 40remain effective proof of financial responsibility for a period of 30 41consecutive days following the date the certificate or facsimile is issued but 42shall not in and of itself constitute a binder or policy of insurance. 43-(2) A binder for or policy of nonfle et private passenger motor vehicle liability 44+(2) A binder for or policy of nonfleet private passenger motor vehicle liability 44insurance under which the applicant is insured, provided that the binder or 45policy states the effective date and expiration date of the nonfleet private 46passenger motor vehicle liability policy. 47-Subdivisions (1) and (2) of this subsection do not apply to applicants who do not own 48+Subdivisions (1) and (2) of this subsection do not apply to applicants who do not own 48currently registered motor vehicles and who do not operate nonfleet private passenger motor 49vehicles that are owned by other persons and that are not insured under commercial motor vehicle 50liability insurance policies. In such cases, the applicant shall sign a written certificate to that 51General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025-Senate Bill 694-First Edition Page 5+DRS35248-MWa-65A Page 5effect. Such certificate shall be furnished by the Division and may be incorporated into the 1-restoration application form. Any material misrepresentation made by such person on such 2+restoration application form. Any material misrepresentation made by such person on such 2certificate shall be grounds for suspension of that person's license for a period of 90 days. 3For the purposes of this subsection, the term "nonfleet private passenger motor vehicle" has 4the definition ascribed to it in Article 40 of General Statute Chapter 58. 5The Commissioner may require that certificates required by this subsection be on a form 6approved by the Commissioner. The financial responsibility required by this subsection shall be 7-kept in effect for not less than thre e years after the date that the license is restored. Failure to 8+kept in effect for not less than three years after the date that the license is restored. Failure to 8maintain financial responsibility as required by this subsection shall be grounds for suspending 9-the restored driver's license for a period of 30 days. Nothing in this subsection precludes any 10+the restored driver 's license for a period of 30 days. Nothing in this subsection precludes any 10person from showing proof of financial responsibility in any other manner authorized by Articles 119A and 13 of this Chapter." 12SECTION 4.(c) G.S. 20-28.1(a) reads as rewritten: 13"(a) Upon receipt of notice of conviction of any person of a motor vehicle moving offense, 14-such offense having been committed while such person's driving privilege was in a state of 15-suspension or revocation, the Division shall revoke such person's driving privilege for an 16-additional period of time as set forth in subsection (b) hereo f. For purposes of this section a 17+such offense having been committed while such person 's driving privilege was in a state of 15+suspension or revocation, the Division shall revoke such person 's driving privilege for an 16+additional period of time as set forth in subsection (b) hereof. For purposes of this section a 17violation of G.S. 20-7(a), 20-24.1, G.S. 20-7(a) or 20-28(a) G.S. 20-28(a) or (a2) shall not be 18considered a "motor vehicle moving offense" unless the offense occurred in a commercial motor 19vehicle or the person held a commercial drivers license at the time of the offense." 20@@ -229,9 +233,9 @@to this section shall result in the Division withholding the registration renewal of a motor vehicle 23registered in that person's name. The clerk of superior court in the county in which the case was 24disposed shall notify the Division of any person who fails to pay a fine or costs imposed pursuant 25-to this section within 40 days of the date specified in the court's judgment, as required by 26+to this section within 40 days of the date specified in the court 's judgment, as required by 26G.S. 20-24.2(a)(2). judgment. The Division shall continue to withhold the registration renewal 27-of a motor vehicle until the clerk of superior court notifies the Division that the person has 28+of a motor vehicle until the clerk of superior court notifies the Division that the person has 28satisfied the conditions of G.S. 20-24.1(b) applicable to the person's case. The provisions of this 29subsection shall be in addition to any other actions the Division may take to enforce the payment 30of any fine imposed pursuant to this section." 31@@ -242,11 +246,11 @@vehicle registration." 3637AMEND EFFECTIVE DATE FOR S.L. 2015-186 38-SECTION 5. Section 7 of S.L. 2015 -186, as amended by Section 86 of S.L. 39+SECTION 5. Section 7 of S.L. 2015 -186, as amended by Section 86 of S.L. 392015-264, reads as rewritten: 40"SECTION 7. This act becomes effective December 1, 2015, and applies to offenses 41committed on on, before, or after that date. Prosecutions for offenses committed before the 42-effective date of this act are not abated or affected by this act, and the statutes that would be 43+effective date of this act are not abated or affected by this act, and the statutes that would be 43applicable but for this act remain applicable to those prosecutions." 4445EFFECTIVE DATE 46
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