Authority: Title 46.2, Chapters 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 16, and 17; §§ 18.2-266 through 18.2-272; Title 58.1, Chapters 21 and 24, Code of Virginia. Title 33, Chapter 4, United States Code.
A. The Commissioner, Department of Motor Vehicles, is authorized to establish, where feasible and cost efficient, contracts with private/public partnerships with commercial operations, to provide for simplification and streamlining of service to citizens through electronic means. Provided, however, that such commercial operations shall not be entitled to compensation as established under § 46.2-205, Code of Virginia, but rather at rates limited to those established by the commissioner.
B. The Department of Motor Vehicles shall work to increase the use of alternative service delivery methods, which may include offering discounts on certain transactions conducted online, as determined by the department. As part of its effort to shift customers to internet usage where applicable, the department shall not charge its customers for the use of credit cards for internet or other types of transactions; however, this restriction shall not apply with respect to any credit or debit card transactions the department conducts on behalf of another agency, provided (i) the other agency is authorized to charge customers for the use of credit or debit cards and (ii) the merchant's fees and other transaction costs imposed by the card issuer are charged to the department.
C. In order to provide citizens of the Commonwealth greater access to the Department of Motor Vehicles, the agency is authorized to enter into an agreement with any local constitutional officer or combination of officers to act as a license agent for the department, with the consent of the chief administrative officer of the constitutional officer's county or city, and to negotiate a separate compensation schedule for such office other than the schedule set out in § 46.2-205, Code of Virginia. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any compensation due to a constitutional officer serving as a license agent shall be remitted by the department to the officer's county or city on a monthly basis, and not less than 80 percent of the sums so remitted shall be appropriated by such county or city to the office of the constitutional officer to compensate such officer for the additional work involved with processing transactions for the department. Funds appropriated to the constitutional office for such work shall not be used to supplant existing local funding for such office, nor to reduce the local share of the Compensation Board-approved budget for such office below the level established pursuant to general law.
D. The base compensation for DMV Select Agents shall be set at 4.5 percent of gross collections for the first $500,000 and 5.0 percent of all gross collections in excess of $500,000 made by the entity during each fiscal year on such state taxes and fees in place as a matter of law. The commissioner shall supply the agents with all necessary agency forms to provide services to the public, and shall cause to be paid all freight and postage, but shall not be responsible for any extra clerk hire or other business-related expenses or business equipment expenses occasioned by their duties.
E. Out of the amounts identified in this Item, an amount estimated at $372,006 the first year and $372,006 the second year from the Commonwealth Transportation Fund shall be paid to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Commission.
F.1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the department shall assess a minimum fee of $15 for all titles. The revenue generated from this fee shall be set aside to meet the expenses of the department.
2. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the department shall assess a $10 late fee on all registration renewal transactions that occur after the expiration date. The late fee shall not apply to those exceptions granted under § 46.2-221.4, Code of Virginia. In assessing the late renewal fee the department shall provide a ten day grace period for transactions conducted by mail to allow for administrative processing. This grace period shall not apply to registration renewals for vehicles registered under the International Registration Plan. The revenue generated from this fee shall be set aside to meet the expenses of the department.
3. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the department shall establish a $20 minimum fee for original driver's licenses and replacements. The revenue generated from this fee shall be set aside to meet the expenses of the department.
G. The Department of Motor Vehicles is hereby granted approval to renew or extend existing capital leases due to expire during the current biennium for existing customer service centers.
H. The Department of Motor Vehicles is hereby appropriated revenues from the additional sales tax on fuel in certain transportation districts to recover the direct cost of administration incurred by the department in implementing and collecting this tax as provided by § 58.1-2295, Code of Virginia.
I. The Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles, in consultation with the Commissioner of Highways, shall take such steps as may be necessary to expand access to the E-ZPass program through its customer service channels using such locations and methods as are practicable.
J. The Department of Motor Vehicles is hereby granted approval to distribute the transactional charges of the Cardinal accounting system to state agencies, when the transactions involve funds passed through the department to the benefiting agency. This paragraph shall not pertain to Direct Aid to Public Education.
K. The Department of Motor Vehicles is hereby granted approval to distribute a portion of its indirect cost allocation charge to another state agency when the charge is related to revenue collected and transferred by the department to the state agency. Such transfers shall be based on the agency's proportionate share of the department's total transactions in the immediately preceding fiscal year. The Department shall annually submit to the Department of Planning and Budget a summary of the transfer amounts and the transaction volumes used to allocate the internal cost amounts.
L. Notwithstanding § 46.2-688, Code of Virginia, the Department of Motor Vehicles shall not be required to refund a proration of the total cost of a motor vehicle registration when less than six months remain in the registration period. Any resulting savings shall be retained and used to meet the expenses of the Department.
M. Notwithstanding § 46.2-342, Code of Virginia, the Department of Motor Vehicles shall not be required to include organ donation brochures with every driver's license renewal notice or application mailed to licensed drivers.
N. The Commissioner shall only refuse to issue or renew any vehicle registration pursuant to subsection L of § 46.2-819.3:1 of an operator or owner of a vehicle who has no prior resolution, whether that resolution is by settlement or conviction, for offenses under § 46.2-819.3:1 if, in addition to the conditions set forth in subsection L of § 46.2-819.3:1 for such refusal, the toll operator has offered the individual a settlement of no more than $2,200.
O. The Department is authorized to impose a $10 surcharge on all first issuances of REAL ID compliant credentials that are acceptable for federal purposes.
P. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for the duration of a declared state of emergency as defined in § 44-146.16, Code of Virginia, and for up to 90 days after the declaration of a state of emergency has been rescinded or expires, the Commissioner may extend the validity or delay the cancellation of driver's licenses, special identification cards, and vehicle registrations, the time frame during which a driver improvement clinic or payment plan must be completed, the maximum number of days of residency permitted before a new resident must be licensed in Virginia pursuant to § 46.2-308, Code of Virginia, to operate a motor vehicle in the Commonwealth, and the time frame during which a new resident may operate a motor vehicle in the Commonwealth which has been duly registered in another jurisdiction before registering the vehicle in the Commonwealth.
Q. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for the duration of a declared Commonwealth-wide state of emergency as defined in § 44-146.16, Code of Virginia, and for up to 90 days after the declaration of a state of emergency has been rescinded or expires, the Commissioner shall ensure that individuals age 65 and older, or with an immunocompromised or other underlying medical conditions, who are not required to register pursuant to Chapter 9 of Title 9.1 and appear in person for each renewal or the requirement to obtain a photograph in accordance with § 46.2-330 F(2), are able to complete any necessary transactions for existing credentials online or through the mail, so long as such individuals are otherwise eligible to complete such transactions and federal law does not require the transactions to be completed in person.
R. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for the duration of a declared state of emergency and for up to 90 days after a declaration of a state of emergency has been rescinded or expires, the Commissioner may permit (1) Class B driver training schools and (2) computer-based driver education providers, as defined in § 46.2-1700, to administer the end-of-course driver's education test online subject to the requirements prescribed by the Commissioner. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for the duration of a declared state of emergency and for up to 90 days after a declaration of a state of emergency has been rescinded or expires, the Commissioner may permit Class B driver training schools with a valid Virginia license to administer their in-class curriculum on an online platform subject to the requirements prescribed by the Commissioner. Notwithstanding the provisions of § 22.1-205, for the duration of a declared state of emergency and for up to 90 days after a declaration of a state of emergency has been rescinded or expires, the Commissioner may permit the parent/student driver education component of the driver's education course to be administered online subject to the requirements prescribed by the Commissioner.
S. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection E. of § 18.2-271.1 of the Code of Virginia, if a person's license to operate a motor vehicle, engine, or train in the Commonwealth has been suspended or revoked pursuant to former § 18.2-259.1 or 46.2-390.1, a court may, in its discretion and for good cause shown, issue a restricted permit to operate a motor vehicle for any purpose set forth in subsection E. of § 18.2-271.1. No restricted license issued pursuant to this paragraph shall permit any person to operate a commercial motor vehicle as defined in the Virginia Commercial Driver's License Act (§ 46.2-341.1 et seq.). The court shall forward to the Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles a copy of its order entered pursuant to this paragraph, which shall specifically enumerate the restrictions imposed and contain such information regarding the person to whom such a permit is issued as is reasonably necessary to identify such person. The court shall also provide a copy of its order to the person so convicted who may operate a motor vehicle on the order until receipt from the Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles of a restricted license, if the order provides for a restricted license for that time period. A copy of such order and, after receipt thereof, the restricted license shall be carried at all times by such person while operating a motor vehicle. Any person who operates a motor vehicle in violation of any restrictions imposed pursuant to this paragraph is guilty of a violation of § 46.2-301.
T. Notwithstanding § 4-2.03 of this act, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles shall be exempt from recovering statewide and agency indirect costs from the federal grants until an indirect cost plan can be evaluated and developed by the agency.