HOUSE BILL 71

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

INTRODUCED BY

Miguel P. Garcia

 

 

 

 

 

AN ACT

RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLES; PROHIBITING THE ALTERATION OF MUFFLERS ON VEHICLES; PROVIDING A PENALTY.

 

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

     SECTION 1. A new section of the Motor Vehicle Code is enacted to read:

     "[NEW MATERIAL] MUFFLER--ALTERATIONS PROHIBITED.--A vehicle muffler shall not be altered or modified from the manufacturer's specifications except for repairs that bring a damaged muffler to the same level of noise reduction capacity as provided by its initial manufactured condition or a modification that increases a muffler's noise reduction capacity. A violation of this section is a penalty assessment misdemeanor."

     SECTION 2. 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             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 equipment Section 1 of this 2023 act     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)."

     SECTION 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the provisions of this act is July 1, 2023.

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