MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2020 Regular Session

To: Insurance

By: Senator(s) McLendon, Blackwell, Boyd, England

Senate Bill 2561

AN ACT TO AMEND REENACTED SECTION 63-16-9, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE MOTOR VEHICLE LIABILITY INSURANCE COVERAGE IN AT LEAST THE MINIMUM AMOUNTS REQUIRED BY LAW BEFORE A MOTOR VEHICLE OWNER MAY RENEW A REGISTRATION; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

     BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

     SECTION 1.  Section 63-16-9, Mississippi Code of 1972, is reenacted and amended as follows:

     63-16-9.  Every owner of a motor vehicle in this state shall comply with the motor vehicle liability insurance coverage in at least the minimum amounts required under Section 63-15-3(j) before that owner may * * *receive renew a registration for a motor vehicle * * *or renew a registration.  The owner must also maintain continuous coverage in at least the minimum amounts required under Section 63-15-3(j) throughout the registration period.  The Department of Revenue shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to enforce this section. * * *The verification system shall be used at registration to determine compliance with this section and the response received from the system supersedes an insurance card produced by a motor vehicle owner or operator, and notwithstanding the display of an insurance card by the owner or operator, the owner shall be denied a registration for a motor vehicle or renewal of a registration based on the verification system's response of noncompliance.  The Department of Revenue must make the verification system available to the tax collector through its title/registration network system.  If the owner is applying for the initial registration of a motor vehicle, then the owner may be granted a registration notwithstanding the response received from the verification system.

Under no circumstances shall county tax collectors have the responsibility for collecting the penalties or in verifying insurance coverage.  The county tax collectors shall instead only inform any inquiring registrant of the Department of Revenue's requirements and processes concerning insurance compliance and penalties.

     SECTION 2.  This act shall take effect and be in force from and after October 1, 2020.

---