A key measure contained in the federal Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act) will usher in an era of paperless vehicle sales and pave the way for vehicle-to-government transactions.
Language contained in the 1,300 page transportation bill Congress passed in December and signed into law by president Obama, allows states to move forward with programs to implement electronic odometer disclosures, notices and related materials as long as those processes provide appropriate authentication and security measures.
This advance will allow for the modernization and expediting of motor vehicle registration nationwide.
Existing federal law requires odometer disclosures to be hand written, slowing the efficiency of all vehicle related transactions, including sales and registration. While a provision in the 2012 federal transportation bill called on the federal National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to implement new rules to allow for electronic odometer disclosures, the agency has yet to propose those rules.
Senator Steve Daines (R-Montana) authored language contained in the new highway bill that allows states to move forward with their own “e-odometer” programs.
MVSC, a national provider of electronic vehicle registration technology and services, led the effort to include the provision in the Highway bill along with the National Auto Dealer Association and state auto dealer associations throughout the country. The groups praised senator Daines for his leadership in making sure the e-odometer language was included in the final bill.
Published in the February 2016 Edition of American Recycler News