SB0249

SENATE BILL 249

56th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2023

INTRODUCED BY

Roberto "Bobby" J. Gonzales

AN ACT

RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLES; ENACTING A NEW SECTION OF THE MOTOR VEHICLE CODE REQUIRING VEHICLE DRIVERS TO YIELD THE RIGHT OF WAY TO A TRANSIT BUS THAT IS DISPLAYING A YIELD SIGN; DEFINING TERMS; PROVIDING PENALTIES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

SECTION 1. Section 66-1-4.11 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1990, Chapter 120, Section 12, as amended) is amended to read:

"66-1-4.11. DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Motor Vehicle Code:

A. "mail" means any item properly addressed with postage prepaid delivered by the United States postal service or any other public or private enterprise primarily engaged in the transport and delivery of letters, packages and other parcels;

B. "manufactured home" means a movable or portable housing structure that exceeds either a width of eight feet or a length of forty feet, constructed to be towed on its own chassis and designed to be installed with or without a permanent foundation for human occupancy;

C. "manufacturer" means every person engaged in the business of constructing or assembling vehicles of a type required to be registered under the Motor Vehicle Code;

D. "manufacturer's certificate of origin" means a certification, on a form supplied by or approved by the department, signed by the manufacturer that the new vehicle or boat described in the certificate has been transferred to the New Mexico dealer or distributor named in the certificate or to a dealer duly licensed or recognized as such in another state, territory or possession of the United States and that such transfer is the first transfer of the vehicle or boat in ordinary trade and commerce;

E. "mass transit" means a coordinated system of transit modes providing transportation for use by the general public;

[E.] F. "moped" means a two-wheeled or three-wheeled vehicle with an automatic transmission and a motor having a piston displacement of less than fifty cubic centimeters that is capable of propelling the vehicle at a maximum speed of not more than thirty miles an hour on level ground at sea level;

[F.] G. "motorcycle" means every motor vehicle having a seat or saddle for the use of the rider and designed to travel on not more than three wheels in contact with the ground, including autocycles and excluding a tractor;

[G.] H. "motor home" means a camping body built on a self-propelled motor vehicle chassis so designed that seating for driver and passengers is within the body itself;

[H.] I. "motor vehicle" means every vehicle that is self-propelled and every vehicle that is propelled by electric power obtained from batteries or from overhead trolley wires, but not operated upon rails; but for the purposes of the Mandatory Financial Responsibility Act, "motor vehicle" does not include "special mobile equipment"; and

[I.] J. "motor vehicle insurance policy" means a policy of vehicle insurance that covers self-propelled vehicles of a kind required to be registered pursuant to New Mexico law for use on the public streets and highways. A "motor vehicle insurance policy":

(1) shall include:

(a) motor vehicle bodily injury and property damage liability coverages in compliance with the Mandatory Financial Responsibility Act; and

(b) uninsured motorist coverage, subject to the provisions of Section 66-5-301 NMSA 1978 permitting the insured to reject such coverage; and

(2) may include:

(a) physical damage coverage;

(b) medical payments coverage; and

SECTION 2. Section 66-1-4.14 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1990, Chapter 120, Section 15, as amended) is amended to read:

"66-1-4.14. DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Motor Vehicle Code:

A. "park" or "parking" means the standing of a vehicle, whether occupied or not, other than temporarily for the purpose of and while actually engaged in loading and unloading;

B. "parking lot" means a parking area provided for the use of patrons of any office of state or local government or of any public accommodation, retail or commercial establishment;

C. "parts car" means a motor vehicle generally in nonoperable condition that is owned by a collector to furnish parts that are usually nonobtainable from normal sources, thus enabling a collector to preserve, restore and maintain a motor vehicle of historic or special interest;

D. "passenger van" means a vehicle with seating for

thirteen or fewer people, a maximum interior headroom of fifty-two inches and single rear tires;

[D.] E. "pedestrian" means any natural person on foot;

[E.] F. "person" means every natural person, firm, copartnership, association, corporation or other legal entity;

[F.] G. "personal information" means information that identifies an individual, including an individual's photograph, social security number, driver identification number, name, address other than zip code, telephone number and medical or disability information, but "personal information" does not include information on vehicles, vehicle ownership, vehicular accidents, driving violations or driver status;

[G.] H. "placard" or "parking placard" means a card-like device that identifies the vehicle as being currently in use to transport a person with severe mobility impairment and issued pursuant to Section 66-3-16 NMSA 1978 to be displayed inside a motor vehicle so as to be readily visible to an observer outside the vehicle;

[H.] I. "platoon" means a series of motor vehicles that are traveling in a unified manner by means of being connected with wireless communications or other technology allowing for coordinated movement;

[I.] J. "pneumatic tire" means every tire in which compressed air is designed to support the load;

[J.] K. "pole trailer" means any vehicle without motive power, designed to be drawn by another vehicle and attached to the towing vehicle by means of a reach or pole or by being boomed or otherwise secured to the towing vehicle and ordinarily used for transporting long or irregularly shaped loads such as poles, structures, pipes and structural members capable, generally, of sustaining themselves as beams between the supporting connections;

[K.] L. "police or peace officer" means every officer authorized to direct or regulate traffic or to make arrests for violations of the Motor Vehicle Code;

[L.] M. "private road or driveway" means every way or place in private ownership used for vehicular travel by the owner and those having express or implied permission from the owner, but not other persons; [and]

[M.] N. "property owner" means the owner of a piece of land or the agent of that property owner; and

O. "public mass transit operator" means an agency

or a political subdivision of the state that provides mass

transit services."

SECTION 3. Section 66-1-4.17 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1990, Chapter 120, Section 18, as amended) is amended to read:

"66-1-4.17. DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Motor Vehicle Code:

A. "tank vehicle" means a motor vehicle that is designed to transport any liquid or gaseous material within a tank that is either permanently or temporarily attached to the vehicle or the chassis and that has either a gross vehicle weight rating of twenty-six thousand one or more pounds or is used in the transportation of hazardous materials requiring placarding of the vehicle under applicable law;

B. "taxicab" means a motor vehicle used for hire in the transportation of persons, having a normal seating capacity of not more than seven persons;

C. "temporary off-site location" means a location other than a dealer's established or additional place of business that is used exclusively for the display of vehicles or vessels for sale or resale and for related business;

D. "through highway" means every highway or portion of a highway at the entrance to which vehicular traffic from intersecting highways is required by law to stop before entering or crossing it when stop signs are erected as provided in the Motor Vehicle Code;

E. "title service company" means a person, other than the department, an agent of the department, a licensed dealer or the [motor transportation] New Mexico state police division of the department of public safety, who for consideration issues temporary registration plates or prepares and submits to the department on behalf of others applications for registration of or title to motor vehicles;

F. "traffic" means pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles and other conveyances either singly or together using any highway for purposes of travel;

G. "traffic-control signal" means any device, whether manually, electrically or mechanically operated, by which traffic is alternately directed to stop and to proceed;

H. "traffic safety bureau" means the traffic safety bureau of the department of transportation;

I. "trailer" means any vehicle without motive power, designed for carrying persons or property and for being drawn by a motor vehicle, and so constructed that no significant part of its weight rests upon the towing vehicle;

J. "transaction" means all operations necessary at one time with respect to one identification card, one driver, one vessel or one vehicle;

K. "transit bus" means a bus operated by a public mass transit operator;

[K.] L. "transportation inspector" means an employee of the [motor transportation] New Mexico state police division of the department of public safety who has been certified by the director of the division to enter upon and perform inspections of motor carriers' vehicles in operation;

[L.] M. "transporter of manufactured homes" means a commercial motor vehicle operation engaged in the business of transporting manufactured homes from the manufacturer's location to the first dealer's location. A "transporter of manufactured homes" may or may not be associated with or affiliated with a particular manufacturer or dealer;

[M.] N. "travel trailer" means a trailer with a camping body and includes recreational travel trailers and camping trailers;

[N.] O. "trial court" means the magistrate, municipal or district court that tries the case concerning an alleged violation of a provision of the Motor Vehicle Code;

[O.] P. "tribal court" means a court created by a tribe or a court of Indian offense created by the United States secretary of the interior;

[P.] Q. "tribe" means an Indian nation, tribe or pueblo located wholly or partially in New Mexico;

[Q.] R. "truck" means every motor vehicle designed, used or maintained primarily for the transportation of property;

[R.] S. "truck camper" means a camping body designed to be loaded onto, or affixed to, the bed or chassis of a truck. A camping body, when combined with a truck or truck cab and chassis, even though not attached permanently, becomes a part of the motor vehicle, and together they are a recreational unit to be known as a "truck camper"; there are three general types of truck campers:

(1) "slide-in camper" means a camping body designed to be loaded onto and unloaded from the bed of a pickup truck;

(2) "chassis-mount camper" means a camping body designed to be affixed to a truck cab and chassis; and

(3) "pickup cover" or "camper shell" means a camping body designed to provide an all-weather protective enclosure over the bed of a pickup truck and to be affixed to the pickup truck; and

[S.] T. "truck tractor" means every motor vehicle designed and used primarily for drawing other vehicles and constructed to carry a part of the weight of the vehicle and load drawn."

SECTION 4. A new Section 66-7-332.2 NMSA 1978 is enacted to read:

"66-7-332.2. [NEW MATERIAL] YIELD TO TRANSIT BUSES DISPLAYING PROPER SIGNAGE.--

A. A driver shall yield the right of way to a transit bus, excepting a passenger van, when an illuminated yield sign is displayed on the rear of the bus and the bus is attempting to merge into a traffic lane from a designated bus stop.

B. This section does not require a public mass transit operator to install illuminated yield signs on the buses it operates.

C. This section does not relieve a driver of a transit bus from any applicable traffic laws or duty of care.

D. A person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a penalty assessment misdemeanor."

SECTION 5. Section 66-8-116 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1978, Chapter 35, Section 524, as amended) is amended to read:

"66-8-116. PENALTY ASSESSMENT MISDEMEANORS--DEFINITION--SCHEDULE OF ASSESSMENTS.--

A. As used in the Motor Vehicle Code and the Boat Act, "penalty assessment misdemeanor" means violation of any of the following listed sections of the NMSA 1978 for which, except as provided in Subsections D through F of this section, the listed penalty assessment is established:

COMMON NAME OF OFFENSE SECTION VIOLATED PENALTY ASSESSMENT

Vehicles subject to

registration 66-3-1 $ 50.00

Improper display of

registration plate 66-3-18 25.00

Failure to notify of

change of name or address 66-3-23 25.00

Lost or damaged registration,

plate or title 66-3-24 25.00

Horseless carriage

registration 66-3-27 25.00

Transfer of registration

and title 66-3-103 25.00

Expiration of dealer

plates 66-3-403 25.00

Special registration

plates 66-3-409, 66-3-412.1,

66-3-413, 66-3-415,

66-3-417, 66-3-419,

66-3-421, 66-3-422,

66-3-424.4, 66-3-424.5,

66-3-424.7, 66-3-424.9,

66-3-424.13, 66-3-424.16

and 66-3-424.28 75.00

Bicycle laws 66-3-701

through

66-3-707 50.00

No license display 66-5-16 25.00

Failure to change

address or name on

license 66-5-22 25.00

Permitting unauthorized

minor to drive 66-5-40 50.00

Permitting unauthorized

person to drive 66-5-41 25.00

Failure to obey sign 66-7-104 25.00

Failure to obey signal 66-7-105 25.00

Pedestrian signs and

signals 66-7-106

through

66-7-108 25.00

Speeding 66-7-301

(1) up to and including

ten miles an hour

over the speed limit 25.00

(2) from eleven up to

and including fifteen

miles an hour over the speed limit 30.00

(3) from sixteen up to

and including twenty

miles an hour over the

speed limit 65.00

(4) from twenty-one up to

and including twenty-five

miles an hour over the speed limit 100.00

(5) from twenty-six up to

and including thirty

miles an hour over the

speed limit 125.00

(6) from thirty-one up to

and including thirty-five

miles an hour over the

speed limit 150.00

(7) more than thirty-five

miles an hour over the

speed limit 200.00

Unfastened safety belt 66-7-372 25.00

Child not in restraint device

or seat belt 66-7-369 25.00

Minimum speed 66-7-305 25.00

Speeding 66-7-306 25.00

Improper starting 66-7-324 25.00

Improper backing 66-7-354 25.00

Improper lane 66-7-308 25.00

Improper lane 66-7-313 25.00

Improper lane 66-7-316 25.00

Improper lane 66-7-317 25.00

Improper lane 66-7-319 25.00

Improper passing 66-7-309 through 66-7-312 25.00

Improper passing 66-7-315 25.00

Controlled access

violation 66-7-320 25.00

Controlled access

violation 66-7-321 25.00

Improper turning 66-7-322 25.00

Improper turning 66-7-323 25.00

Improper turning 66-7-325 25.00

Following too closely 66-7-318 25.00

Failure to yield 66-7-328 through 66-7-331 25.00

Failure to yield 66-7-332 50.00

Failure to yield 66-7-332.1 and 66-7-332.2 25.00

Pedestrian violation 66-7-333

through

66-7-34025.00

Failure to stop 66-7-342 and 66-7-344

through 66-7-346 25.00

Railroad-highway grade

crossing violation 66-7-341 and 66-7-343 150.00

Passing school bus 66-7-347 100.00

Failure to signal 66-7-325 through 66-7-327 25.00

Riding on motorcycles 66-7-355 100.00

Video screens in

automobiles 66-7-358 25.00

Driving on mountain

highways 66-7-359 25.00

Coasting prohibited 66-7-360 25.00

Animals on highway at

night 66-7-363 50.00

Failure to secure load 66-7-407 100.00

Operation without oversize-

overweight permit 66-7-413 50.00

Transport of reducible

load with special

permit more than six miles

from a border crossing 66-7-413 100.00

Driving while license

administratively

suspended 66-5-39.2 25.00

Improper equipment 66-3-801 through

66-3-840 and 66-3-842

through 66-3-85150.00

Improper equipment 66-3-901 50.00

Improper emergency

signal 66-3-853 through 66-3-857 25.00

Minor on motorcycle

without helmet 66-7-356 300.00

Operation interference 66-7-357 50.00

Littering 66-7-364 300.00

Improper parking 66-7-349 through 66-7-352

and 66-7-353 25.00

Improper parking 66-3-852 25.00

Riding in or towing

occupied house trailer 66-7-366 25.00

Improper opening of doors 66-7-367 25.00

No slow-moving vehicle

emblem or flashing

amber light 66-3-887 25.00

Open container-first

violation 66-8-138 25.00

Texting while driving-

(1) first violation 66-7-374 25.00

(2) second and subsequent

violation 50.00

Using a handheld mobile

communication device

while driving a

commercial motor vehicle 66-7-375

(1) first violation 25.00

(2) second and subsequent

violation 50.00.

B. The term "penalty assessment misdemeanor" does not include a violation that has caused or contributed to the cause of an accident resulting in injury or death to a person.

C. When an alleged violator of a penalty assessment misdemeanor elects to accept a notice to appear in lieu of a notice of penalty assessment, a fine imposed upon later conviction shall not exceed the penalty assessment established for the particular penalty assessment misdemeanor and probation imposed upon a suspended or deferred sentence shall not exceed ninety days.

D. The penalty assessment for speeding in violation of Paragraph (5) of Subsection A of Section 66-7-301 NMSA 1978 is twice the penalty assessment established in Subsection A of this section for the equivalent miles per hour over the speed limit.

E. Upon a second conviction for operation without a permit for excessive size or weight pursuant to Section 66-7-413 NMSA 1978, the penalty assessment shall be two hundred fifty dollars ($250). Upon a third or subsequent conviction, the penalty assessment shall be five hundred dollars ($500).

F. Upon a second conviction for transport of a reducible load with a permit for excessive size or weight pursuant to Subsection N of Section 66-7-413 NMSA 1978 more than six miles from a port-of-entry facility on the border with Mexico, the penalty assessment shall be five hundred dollars ($500). Upon a third or subsequent conviction, the penalty assessment shall be one thousand dollars ($1,000)."

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