House Republican Press Release

March 28, 2008

Press Office: 860-240-8700

Harkins: Transportation Committee Concludes Work

HARTFORD- State Representative John Harkins (R-Stratford) today noted that the legislature’s Transportation Committee has concluded its business for the 2008 Legislative Session.

Harkins, who sits on the committee, noted that a number of critical bills were passed by the committee, and will now go on to the full legislature for action. Among those bills are:

• HB 5041, An Act Concerning Reorganization of the Department of Transportation.  This proposal comes from the Governor and seeks top split the DOT into two separate departments, which was changed into a study to assist the Governor in reorganizing the DOT.

• HB 5748, An Act Concerning Teen Drivers. This bill doubles the required behind the wheel training from 20 to 40 hours, prohibits 16 & 17 year-olds from transporting someone other than a parent or guardian, a DMV instructor, or anyone under the age of 20 for the first six months of having their license.  A thirty day license suspension would result from one violation of these restrictions, and a six month suspension would result from the second violation.

• SB 298, An Act Concerning the Penalty for Failure to Remove Snow and Ice from Motor Vehicles.  The bill fines the operator of a vehicle who fails to remove snow or ice from a vehicle, and it becomes dislodged while driving causing injury or property damage.

• SB 499, An Act Concerning Parking, requires handicapped parking placards to contain the signature of who they were issued to, an expiration date and the last five digits of the driver’s license number of the individual it was issued to.  The bill also increases fines for misusing a dead person’s handicapped pass from $150 to $500.

“The Transportation Committee has handled a varying number of bills this session,” said Harkins.  “During the shorter session, accomplishing this work is a greater challenge, but I am pleased to see much of the work we did advance.”

The 2008 session of the Connecticut General Assembly concludes midnight on Wednesday, May 7^th.