Panel backs raising snowmobile registration penalty to encourage compliance, asks for drafting clarifications

Section 17 of S.326 would raise penalties for operating an unregistered snowmobile or one without a valid Vermont trail-maintenance-assessment (TMA) decal. Counsel said the proposal increases the civil penalty from $135 to $450 for a first offense and to $500 for a second or subsequent offense within three years; the change was requested by VAST to encourage registration and payment of trail-maintenance assessments.

Committee members asked for data on the number of citations and whether the penalty change aligns with actual noncompliance rates. One member asked whether the draft language clearly references the TMA requirement; counsel explained that the penalty clause cites violations of section 32-02 and offered to add explicit language referencing registration and the Vermont trail-maintenance assessment decal to reduce confusion.

Members discussed how registration and TMA issuance are linked operationally (a TMA is issued only after registration and a certification of insurance) and whether the penalty table and cross-references should be tidied. The committee agreed the intent is to set the penalty above the cost of registration and trail-maintenance assessments so noncompliant riders are incentivized to register.

Next steps: counsel will consider inserting clarifying language that directly references 32-02 and committee staff will request citation statistics from the agency before finalizing the penalty language.