HB1871 Summary

• Creates an online Vehicle Insurance Database administered by the Department of Finance and Administration in cooperation with the Insurance Commissioner and Department of Arkansas State Police to verify motor vehicle liability insurance compliance.

• Requires motor vehicle liability insurance companies to provide monthly policy data to the database through electronic means, with options for low-volume insurers to report through alternative methods.

• Establishes that the Vehicle Insurance Database is prima facie evidence of insurance coverage, rebuttable by a proof-of-insurance card issued within 60 days, and restricts database access to authorized personnel, courts, law enforcement, and county assessors.

• Allows law enforcement officers to impound vehicles when the database does not show proof of minimum liability insurance coverage unless a valid proof-of-insurance card is presented, with vehicle owners and operators jointly and severally liable for towing and storage costs.

• Makes the act contingent on the Chief Fiscal Officer certifying sufficient funding exists for database implementation, with the act becoming effective 91 days after certification.