West Virginia Legislation Dies for the Year as Legislature Adjourns

 

  • Legislation (H.B. 4196) to create a special procedure for a person in possession of an abandoned antique vehicle to apply for and receive title to the vehicle was approved by the full West Virginia House, but was not considered by the Senate before adjournment.
     
  • Based on SEMA model legislation (H.B. 4193), a bill that would have allowed West Virginia’s vehicle hobbyists to install and use aftermarket modified exhaust systems that meet a 95-decibel limit was not given committee consideration.
     
  • Legislation (S.B. 485) to empower three or more contiguous counties to form regional recreation authorities to establish new recreational trail systems and recreation management programs tailored to the needs of their communities was approved by the West Virginia Senate, but was not considered by the House before adjournment.
     
  • A bill (H.B. 4195) to standardize property taxes paid by owners of antique motor vehicles died when the legislature adjourned for the year.  Under the bill, any vehicle registered as an antique motor vehicle and not used for general transportation would have been assigned an appraised value of $5,000 for purposes of property taxes.  Under the bill, the actual maximum tax paid would have been approximately $175.   This bill would have benefited antique and classic vehicle owners whose cars are worth more than $5,000.  However, it would have penalized antique and classic vehicle owners whose cars are worth less than $5,000.

  Thank you to those who participated in voicing an opinion on these bills.