Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote on a bill that establishes monetary penalties for red light camera tickets going to trial.

Highlights:

• Requires local authorities provide an advance deposit for the filing of the civil action when a certified copy of a ticket issued by a local authority based on evidence recorded by a traffic law photo-monitoring device (Sec. 1).

• Prohibits the court from chargint to the registered owner or designated party any court costs and fees for the civil action (Sec. 1).

• Requires the registered owner or designated party to pay the amount of the civil penalty imposed from violation if the registered owner pays the civil penalty or contests the ticket and does not win the civil action (Sec. 1).

• Requires the local authorities that operate a law photo-monitoring device during the previous fiscal year to file a report with the tax commissioner that includes a detailed statement of the civil fines the local authority has collected from drivers for any violation of any local ordinance or resolution during that period based upon evidence recorded by a law photoing device (Sec. 1).  

• Requires the local authority to file a certified copy of the ticket with the municipal court or county court with jurisdiction over the civil action if the local authority mails a ticket charging the registered owner with the registered owner with the violation (Sec. 1).

• Requires the commissioner to do the following upon the receipt of the report (Sec. 1):

• If the local authority is a municipal corporation, reduce the amount of each of the next 12 payments to the municipal corporation and inform the county auditor and county treasurer that the next 12 payments the municipal corporation receives will be reduced by 1/12 of the gross amount of fines;

• If the local authority is not a municipal corporation, reduce payments to the appropriate county undivided local government fund and inform the county auditor and county treasurer that the next 12 payments the municipal corporation receives will be reduced by 1/12 of the gross amount of fines; and

• If one or more payments to the local authority has been withheld because of failure to timely file the report, notify the county auditor and county treasurer of the appropriate county that the report has been received and that payments to the local authority from the undivided local government fund are to resume.

• Requires the commissioner to do the following if a local authority required to file a report has failed to do so (Sec. 1):

• If the local authority is a municipal corporation, cease providing payments to the municipal corporation until the report is received by the commission;

• For any local authority, reduce payments to the appropriate county undivided local government fund by an amount equal to the amount of such payments the local authority would otherwise receive until the report is received by the commissioner; and

• For any local authority, notify the county auditor and county treasurer that such payments are to cease until the commissioner notifies the auditor and treasurer that payments are to resume.

Full Bill Text