A bill for an act relating to motor vehicle accident reports, including the amount of property damage necessary for a report and the period in which a law enforcement officer must forward a report to the department of transportation.

2025-2026 Regular Session

HSB 297 - Motor Vehicle Accident Reporting Requirements OverviewBill Number: HSB 297 Title: A bill for an act relating to motor vehicle accident reports, including the amount of p

Committee report approving bill, renumbered as HF 904.

#accidents #lawenforcementofficers #motorvehicles #transportationdepartment

Overview

Bill Number: HSB 297
Title: A bill for an act relating to motor vehicle accident reports, including the amount of property damage necessary for a report and the period in which a law enforcement officer must forward a report to the department of transportation.
Status: Committee report approving bill, renumbered as HF 904.
Introduced: March 04, 2025

Purpose and Intent

The primary intent of this bill is to update the requirements for when a motor vehicle accident must be reported to law enforcement and the timeline for law enforcement to forward those reports to the Department of Transportation. The goal is to streamline the reporting process and ensure more timely data collection on motor vehicle accidents.

Key Provisions

Increases the minimum property damage threshold for a motor vehicle accident that must be reported from $1,500 to $3,000.

Reduces the timeline for a law enforcement officer to forward an accident report to the Department of Transportation from 10 days to 5 days.

Requires the Department of Transportation to make accident report data publicly available on their website within 30 days of receiving the reports from law enforcement.

Directs the Department of Transportation to develop an electronic reporting system for law enforcement to submit accident reports.

Affected Parties and Impacts

Drivers involved in motor vehicle accidents: The higher property damage threshold means fewer accidents will require formal reporting, reducing administrative burden.

Law enforcement agencies: Officers will need to adjust procedures to meet the shorter 5-day timeline for forwarding accident reports.

Department of Transportation: Will need to implement new electronic reporting systems and ensure timely publication of accident data online.

The general public: More timely and accessible accident data could improve transportation safety analysis and planning.

Procedural and Timeline Considerations

This bill has been approved by the relevant committee and renumbered as HF 904. It will now proceed to the full House for consideration and a vote. If passed by the House, it will then move to the Senate for further review and potential amendments before a final vote. If enacted, the new reporting requirements would take effect 90 days after the bill is signed into law.