A Nevada Assembly committee is scheduled to consider a bill this week that would result in doubling the minimum liability insurance requirement for “intrastate-only freight.”
State law requires a $750,000 minimum liability insurance for affected truck drivers.
The Assembly Growth & Infrastructure Committee is scheduled to discuss a bill at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, May 8 that would increase the liability insurance minimum for affected Nevada truck drivers to $1 million the first of the year. Additional increases to $1.25 million and $1.5 million would occur in January 2028 and January 2030.
After vocal opposition by multiple truck groups, Senate lawmakers voted 11-10 last month to advance the bill.
Truck groups continue fight
The minimum liability insurance bill, SB180, has met with stiff opposition from the trucking industry.
The Nevada Trucking Association and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association have issued Calls to Action to their Nevada members ahead of Thursday’s committee hearing on SB180.
Both groups also communicated to state lawmakers that the bill is bad for truck drivers.
During a recent Senate committee hearing, Nevada Trucking Association President Paul Enos communicated to lawmakers that while the intent may be to enhance financial responsibility, “the data and practical implications reveal this measure to be an arbitrary and burdensome overreach that will harm Nevada’s small businesses and trucking industry without clear justification.”
Enos also talked with Land Line Now about how the minimum liability insurance bill is attempting to fix a problem that doesn’t exist. He said a better option would be to leave any changes in liability requirements for commercial vehicles up to Congress.
OOIDA President Todd Spencer said despite the Senate vote, the Association is pressing ahead to make sure Assembly lawmakers know SB180 is ill-advised.
“This bill is nothing but bad news. It is certainly bad news for truckers in Nevada and elsewhere,” Spencer said.
In a Tuesday, May 6 Call to Action to Nevada members, OOIDA noted that any increase in minimum liability insurance requirements is wholly unnecessary, would do nothing to improve highway safety, would needlessly jeopardize countless blue-collar jobs and would destroy many small and family-owned businesses.
Nevada truckers can speak up
Nevada-based trucking operations unable to attend the hearing in person can still make their voices heard. On Thursday, dial (888) 475-4499, use meeting ID 89964867854 and press the pound key to testify remotely. Also press the pound key when prompted for a participant ID.
The committee has shared that each person providing public comment may be limited to two minutes. LL
More Land Line coverage of Nevada news is available.
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