Off-road vehicle registration endorsed

(AP) " A state Senate panel voted Tuesday for a bill that would require owners of off-road vehicles, or ORVs, to register their rigs with the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles.

SB394, endorsed by the Senate Energy, Infrastructure and Transportation Committee, would mandate that ORVs, such as all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, dune buggies and all-terrain motorcycles, be titled by the DMV for $20. Owners would pay the same renewal rate yearly.

Sen. Maggie Carlton, D-Las Vegas, voted against the bill and Barbara Cegavske, R-Las Vegas, abstained. Both said they needed time to review changes to the bill.

Nearly $7 million would be generated over the next two years from the registration, titling and other fees for about 227,000 off-highway vehicles in Nevada, according to DMV figures.

Sen. Dean Rhoads, R-Tuscarora, sponsored the bill, which also would create an off-highway vehicle fund and commission. He said that other states that have enacted similar laws are seeing a positive cash flow. Rhodes cited Idaho as an example, saying a net profit of $7 million yearly goes into that state's general fund.

An amendment brought by SB394 supporters and the DMV addressed previous committee concerns about costs of staff and equipment needed to process the additional titles and registrations. The amendment would designate some of the responsibility of title and registration processing to ORV dealers.