A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to delay TURNPIKE Authority billing of motor vehicle owners until tolls owed equal or exceed five dollars.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 136‑89.214 reads as rewritten:
"§ 136‑89.214.  Bill for unpaid open road tolls sent after total amount of tolls owed equals or exceeds five dollars.
(a)	Bill. – If a motor vehicle travels on a Turnpike project that uses an open road tolling system and a toll for traveling on the project is not paid prior to travel or at the time of travel, the Authority must record each instance that such a vehicle incurs a toll. After the total amount of tolls recorded for a motor vehicle equals or exceeds five dollars ($5.00), the Authority must send a bill by first‑class mail to the registered owner of the motor vehicle for the amount of the unpaid tolls. The Authority must send the bill within 90 days after the date of travel on which the total amount of tolls recorded for the motor vehicle equals or exceeds five dollars ($5.00). If a bill is not sent within the required time, the Authority waives collection of the tolls. The Authority must establish a billing period for unpaid open road tolls that is no shorter than 15 days. A bill for a billing period must include all unpaid tolls incurred by the same person during the billing period.
(b)	Information on Bill. – A bill sent under this section must include all of the following information:
(1)	The name and address of the registered owner of the motor vehicle that traveled on a Turnpike project.
(2)	The dates the travel occurred, the approximate times the travel occurred, and each segment of a Turnpike project on which the travel occurred.
(3)	The images of the registration plate of the motor vehicle, if the Authority captured an electronic image of the motor vehicle when it traveled on a Turnpike project.
(4)	The amount of the tolls due and an explanation of how payment may be made.
(5)	The date by which the tolls must be paid to avoid the imposition of a processing fee under G.S. 136‑89.215 and the amount of the processing fee.
(6)	A statement that a vehicle owner who has unpaid tolls is subject to a civil penalty and may not renew the vehicle's registration until the tolls and civil penalties are paid.
(7)	A clear and concise explanation of how to contest liability for the toll."
SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2013, and applies to bills sent on or after that date.