HB 710 — An Act amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in financial responsibility, further providing for required financial responsibility and providing for online verification of financial responsibility.

PRINTER'S NO.   729

                      THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                          HOUSE BILL
                          No. 710
                                                 Session of
                                                   2025

     INTRODUCED BY BENNINGHOFF, ARMANINI, CIRESI, FREEMAN, HANBIDGE,
        KINKEAD, KULIK, PICKETT, PROBST, PUGH, RADER, RIVERA, ROAE,
        SMITH, STENDER, CURRY, BERNSTINE AND McANDREW,
        FEBRUARY 24, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, FEBRUARY 24, 2025


                                       AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
 2      Statutes, in financial responsibility, further providing for
 3      required financial responsibility and providing for online
 4      verification of financial responsibility.
 5      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 6   hereby enacts as follows:
 7      Section 1.     Section 1786(b), (c), (e)(3) and (g)(1) of Title
 8   75 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes are amended and the
 9   section is amended by adding a subsection to read:
10   § 1786.    Required financial responsibility.
11      * * *
12      (b)    Self-certification.--
13             (1)   The Department of Transportation shall require that
14      each motor vehicle registrant certify that the registrant is
15      financially responsible at the time of registration or
16      renewal thereof. The department shall refuse to register or
17      renew the registration of a vehicle for failure to comply
18      with this requirement or falsification of self-certification.
 1          (2)   The department shall verify financial responsibility
 2    information self-certified by a motor vehicle registrant
 3    through the verification system established under section
 4    1786.1 (relating to online verification of financial
 5    responsibility). If the verification system provides no
 6    evidence of financial responsibility, the department shall
 7    send the owner or registrant a notice providing the owner or
 8    registrant the opportunity to provide proof of financial
 9    responsibility to the department.
10    (c)   Consent to produce proof of financial responsibility.--
11          (1)   Upon registering a motor vehicle or renewing a motor
12    vehicle registration, the owner of the motor vehicle shall be
13    deemed to have given consent to produce proof, upon request,
14    to the Department of Transportation or a police officer that
15    the vehicle registrant has the financial responsibility
16    required by this chapter. Proof of financial responsibility
17    may be satisfied under this chapter by production of a
18    financial responsibility identification card in paper or
19    electronic form.
20          (2)   If an owner of a motor vehicle [is providing]
21    provides electronic proof of financial responsibility to a
22    police officer, the police officer shall only view content
23    that is reasonably necessary to demonstrate proof of
24    financial responsibility.
25          (3)   The owner of the electronic device assumes liability
26    for any damage to the electronic device containing the
27    financial responsibility identification card while in
28    possession of the police officer or agents of the department.
29          (4)   Proof of financial responsibility may be satisfied
30    through the online verification system established under

20250HB0710PN0729                  - 2 -
 1      section 1786.1. A motor vehicle owner or registrant is not
 2      required to provide a financial responsibility identification
 3      card if coverage is confirmed through the online verification
 4      system.
 5      * * *
 6      (e)   Obligations upon lapse, termination or cancellation of
 7   financial responsibility.--
 8            * * *
 9            (3)     An insurer who has issued a contract of motor
10      vehicle liability insurance and knows or has reason to
11      believe that the contract is only for the purpose of
12      providing proof of financial responsibility shall notify the
13      department if the insurance has been canceled or terminated
14      by the insured or by the insurer. The insurer shall notify
15      the department not later than ten days following the
16      effective date of the cancellation or termination. This
17      paragraph shall not apply to an insurer that participates in
18      the verification system established under section 1786.1.
19            * * *
20      (g)   Defenses.--
21            (1)     No person shall be convicted of failing to produce
22      proof of financial responsibility under this subchapter or
23      section 3743 (relating to accidents involving damage to
24      attended vehicle or property) or 6308 (relating to
25      investigation by police officers) if the person produces, at
26      the office of the issuing authority within five days of the
27      date of the violation, proof that he possessed the required
28      financial responsibility at the time of the violation. Proof
29      of required financial responsibility shall include
30      verification of financial responsibility through the

20250HB0710PN0729                      - 3 -
 1      verification system established under section 1786.1.
 2            * * *
 3      (i)     Online verification.--If the verification system
 4   established under section 1786.1 provides no evidence of
 5   financial responsibility, the Department of Transportation shall
 6   send the owner or registrant a notice providing the owner or
 7   registrant the opportunity to provide proof of financial
 8   responsibility.
 9      Section 2.      Title 75 is amended by adding a section to read:
10   § 1786.1.      Online verification of financial responsibility.
11      (a)     Duty to establish verification system.--The department
12   shall establish a common-carrier-based system for online
13   verification of financial responsibility as required by this
14   chapter.
15      (b)     System requirements.--
16            (1)     The verification system shall transmit requests to
17      insurers for verification of motor vehicle liability
18      insurance via Internet website services established by the
19      insurers in compliance with the specifications and standards
20      of the Insurance Industry Committee On Motor Vehicle
21      Administration. Insurance company systems shall respond to
22      each request with a prescribed response upon evaluation of
23      the data provided in the request.
24            (2)     The verification system shall include appropriate
25      provisions to secure the data against unauthorized access.
26            (3)    The verification system shall be used for
27      verification of motor vehicle liability insurance as
28      prescribed by the laws of this Commonwealth and shall be
29      accessible to authorized personnel of the department, the
30      courts, law enforcement personnel and other entities

20250HB0710PN0729                      - 4 -
 1    authorized by the Commonwealth as permitted by Federal or
 2    State privacy laws.
 3        (4)   The verification system shall be capable of
 4    interfacing with existing department-owned or Commonwealth-
 5    owned electronic systems.
 6        (5)   The verification system shall enable the department
 7    to make inquiries to insurers of motor vehicle liability
 8    insurance that is consistent with the Insurance Industry
 9    Committee On Motor Vehicle Administration recommendations,
10    specifications and standards by using the following data
11    elements for greater matching accuracy:
12              (i)    insurer National Association of Insurance
13        Commissioners company code;
14              (ii)    vehicle identification number;
15              (iii)    policy number;
16              (iv)    verification date; or
17              (v)    information as otherwise described in the
18        specifications and standards of the Insurance Industry
19        Committee On Motor Vehicle Administration.
20        (6)   The verification system shall respond to a request
21    for financial responsibility information within a period
22    established by the department.
23        (7)   The department may contract with one or more private
24    third parties to implement this section and shall procure the
25    services in accordance with 62 Pa.C.S. (relating to
26    procurement).
27        (8)   The department and any contracted third party shall
28    maintain a contact person for insurers during the
29    establishment, implementation and operation of the
30    verification system.

20250HB0710PN0729                   - 5 -
 1      (c)   Participation required.--An insurer that issues at least
 2   1,000 contracts of motor vehicle liability insurance in this
 3   Commonwealth shall:
 4            (1)   Provide access to motor vehicle liability insurance
 5      policy information to the department or a third party as
 6      required by this section and rules and regulations
 7      promulgated by the department.
 8            (2)   Cooperate with the department in establishing and
 9      maintaining the verification system established under
10      subsection (a) as required by this section and rules and
11      regulations promulgated by the department.
12            (3)   Have the ability to respond to and confirm a request
13      for verification of financial responsibility for at least six
14      months prior to the date of the request for verification of
15      financial responsibility.
16      (d)   Alternative reporting methodology.--The department may
17   develop an alternative reporting methodology for an insurer that
18   issues fewer than 1,000 contracts of motor vehicle liability
19   insurance in this Commonwealth.
20      (e)   Liability.--An insurer complying in good faith with this
21   section or rules and regulations promulgated by the department
22   under this section shall be immune from civil and administrative
23   liability for noncompliance with this section.
24      (f)   Confidential records.--Information, data or records
25   submitted to or maintained by the verification system
26   established under subsection (a) are not subject to access and
27   duplication under the act of February 14, 2008 (P.L.6, No.3),
28   known as the Right-to-Know Law.
29      (g)   Report.--No later than two years after the effective
30   date of this section, the department, in consultation with

20250HB0710PN0729                    - 6 -
 1   insurers, shall issue a report to the General Assembly. The
 2   report shall include the following:
 3            (1)   Costs incurred by the department and insurers
 4      related to the implementation of this section.
 5            (2)   The effectiveness of the verification system with
 6      reducing the number of uninsured motor vehicles.
 7            (3)   Any other information at the discretion of the
 8      department.
 9      (h)   Construction.--Nothing contained in this section shall
10   be construed to authorize the department to suspend or revoke a
11   registration or suspend the operating privilege of the owner or
12   registrant of a motor vehicle, except as permitted under section
13   1786 (relating to required financial responsibility).
14      (i)   Temporary regulations.--In order to facilitate the
15   prompt implementation of this section, regulations promulgated
16   by the department under this section during the two years
17   following the effective date of this section shall be deemed
18   temporary regulations, which shall expire no later than four
19   years following the effective date of this section or upon
20   promulgation of final regulations, whichever occurs first. The
21   temporary regulations shall not be subject to:
22            (1)   Sections 201, 202, 203, 204 and 205 of the act of
23      July 31, 1968 (P.L.769, No.240), referred to as the
24      Commonwealth Documents Law.
25            (2)   Section 204(b) of the act of October 15, 1980
26      (P.L.950, No.164), known as the Commonwealth Attorneys Act.
27            (3)   The act of June 25, 1982 (P.L.633, No.181), known as
28      the Regulatory Review Act.
29      (j)   Definition.--As used in this section, the term
30   "department" means the Department of Transportation of the

20250HB0710PN0729                    - 7 -
1   Commonwealth.
2      Section 3.   This act shall take effect as follows:
3          (1)   The addition of 75 Pa.C.S. § 1786.1(a), (b)(7) and
4      (i) shall take effect immediately.
5          (2)   This section shall take effect immediately.
6          (3)   The remainder of this act shall take effect in one
7      year.




20250HB0710PN0729                 - 8 -