House File 350 - Introduced



                                       HOUSE FILE       
                                       BY  DIX


    Passed House,  Date               Passed Senate, Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to the liability of the owner of a rented motor
  2    vehicle for damages caused by negligence of the driver of the
  3    vehicle.
  4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  5 TLSB 2395HH 81
  6 dea/pj/5

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 321.493, subsection 1, paragraph b,
  1  2 Code 2005, is amended to read as follows:
  1  3    b.  The owner of a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight
  1  4 rating of seven thousand five hundred pounds or more who rents
  1  5 the vehicle for less than a year under an agreement which
  1  6 requires an insurance policy covering at least the minimum
  1  7 levels of financial responsibility prescribed by law, shall
  1  8 not be deemed to be the owner of the vehicle for the purpose
  1  9 of determining financial responsibility for the operation of
  1 10 the vehicle or for the acts of the operator in connection with
  1 11 the vehicle's operation.
  1 12                           EXPLANATION
  1 13    This bill amends Code section 321.493, which provides that
  1 14 if a motor vehicle is driven with the owner's consent, the
  1 15 owner is liable for damages for an accident caused by
  1 16 negligence of the driver.  The bill exempts the owner of a
  1 17 vehicle who rents the vehicle for less than a year under an
  1 18 agreement that requires the minimum amount of liability
  1 19 coverage prescribed by law.  Under current law, that exemption
  1 20 only applies to owners of vehicles with a gross vehicle weight
  1 21 rating of 7,500 pounds or more.
  1 22 LSB 2395HH 81
  1 23 dea:nh/pj/5