H. B. 4611

(By Delegates T. Campbell, Butcher, Evans, Hatfield and Pasdon)

      [Introduced February 17, 2012; referred to the

              Committee on Roads and Transportation then the Judiciary.]

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §17A-6D-16, relating to motor vehicle administration; daily passenger rental car business; and allowing rental vehicle contracts to include a vehicle licensing cost recovery fee.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

    That the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated §17A-6D-16, to read as follows:

ARTICLE 6D. DAILY PASSENGER RENTAL CAR BUSINESS.

§17A-6D-16. Vehicle license cost recovery fee charged by daily passenger rental car company.

    (a) As used in this section:

    (1) "Vehicle license costs" means the costs incurred by a daily passenger rental car company for licensing, titling, registration, property tax, plating and inspecting rental motor vehicles; and

    (2) "Vehicle license cost recovery fee" means a charge on a vehicle rental transaction originating within this state that is separately stated on the rental agreement to recover vehicle license costs.

    (b) Method for vehicle cost recovery.

    (1) If a daily passenger car rental company includes a vehicle license cost recovery fee as a separately stated charge in a rental transaction, the amount of the fee shall represent the company's good-faith estimate of the daily passenger rental car daily charge to recover its actual total annual vehicle license costs.

    (2) If the total amount of the vehicle license cost recovery fees collected by a daily passenger rental car company under this section in any calendar year exceeds the company's actual vehicle license costs, the daily passenger car rental company shall:

    (A) Retain the excess amount; and

    (B) Adjust the vehicle cost recovery fee for the following calendar year by a corresponding amount.

    (c) Nothing in this section may prevent a daily passenger car rental company from including, or making adjustments during the calendar year to, separately stated surcharges, fees or charges in the rental agreement, which may include, but are not limited to, vehicle license cost recovery fees, airport access fees, airport concession fees, consolidated facility charges and all applicable taxes.

    NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to allow rental vehicle contracts to include a vehicle licensing cost recovery fee.

    §17A-6D-16 is new; therefore, it has been completely underscored.