OLR Bill Analysis

sHB 5541

AN ACT CONCERNING THE SITUS OF MOTOR VEHICLES FOR TAXATION PURPOSES.

SUMMARY:

By law, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) commissioner must give each tax assessor a list identifying motor vehicles and snowmobiles subject to property tax in the assessor's town. This bill gives the assessor access to DMV's records it uses to prepare the lists, in order to identify the situs of motor vehicles and snowmobiles that are subject to property tax, notwithstanding the Freedom of Information Act. The access must be provided within DMV's existing budgetary resources. The situs is the town where the vehicle or snowmobile is subject to property tax.

EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2009

BACKGROUND

Related Case

In Davis v. Freedom of Information Commission (259 Conn. 45 (2002)), the Connecticut Supreme Court affirmed a trial court's decision that the law does not bar the Bridgeport tax assessor from disclosing motor vehicle information provided by DMV.

Related FOIC Ruling

In 2007, the DMV denied the Bridgeport assessor's request for its statewide list of motor vehicle owners and their addresses. The DMV commissioner stated that federal and state laws restricted him from disclosing driver information that did not apply to a particular town's municipal grand list. The assessor complained to the Freedom of Information Commission (FOIC), which upheld the commissioner's decision (O'Brien v. Department of Motor Vehicles, Docket # FIC 2007-135).

Legislative History

The House referred the bill (File 153) to the Appropriations Committee, which reported a substitute that grants assessors access to DMV records only within the department's existing budgetary resources.

COMMITTEE ACTION

Planning and Development Committee

Joint Favorable

Appropriations Committee

Joint Favorable Substitute