COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS, VETERANS AFFAIRS AND CONSUMER PROTECTION 09/24/2024-HELD IN COMMITTEE BILL NO. 35-0251 Thirty-Fifth Legislature of the Virgin Islands April 10, 2024 An Act amending title 3 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 16, section 274 relating to the changing of the name of the Virgin Islands Taxicab Commission to the Virgin Islands Taxicab and Limousine Commission and giving oversight authority to the Virgin Islands Taxicab and Limousine Commission over limousine services operators, and for other related purposes PROPOSED BY: Senators Marvin A. Blyden and Angel L. Bolques, Jr. Be it enacted by the Legislature of the Virgin Islands: 1 SECTION 1. Title 3 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 16, section 274 is amended by striking 2 the section heading and inserting a new section heading that read as follows: “Virgin Islands 3 Taxicab and Limousine Commission” and by designating subsection (j) as subsection (k) and 4 inserting a new subsection (j) that reads as follows: 5 “(j) The Virgin Islands Taxicab and Limousine Commission may issue permits to 6 operate a limousine service and may: 7 (1) require a dress code for vehicle operators; 8 (2) limit what types of vehicles may be used for the limousine services; and 9 (3) require periodic drug testing for the vehicle operators.” 10 SECTION 2. Title 20 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 37, section 401, subsection (h) is 11 stricken in its entirety. 12 SECTION 3. (a) Until such time that legislation has been enacted or regulations 1 adopted, limousine service operators shall continue to operate consistent with the current 2 methods of operation under the supervision of the Virgin Islands Taxicab Commission. 3 (b) Not later than 180 days after the effective date of this act, the Virgin Islands 4 Taxicab Commission shall submit to the Legislature of the Virgin Islands, Chair of the 5 Committee on Housing, Transportation and Telecommunications and the Office of the 6 President, proposed recommendations for legislation to regulate the limousine services 7 industry. 8 BILL SUMMARY 9 This bill provides for the change of name of the Virgin Islands Taxicab Limousine 10 Commission to the Virgin Islands Taxicab and Limousine Commission; provides for the areas 11 of oversight that the Virgin Islands Taxicab and Limousine Commission may exercise over of 12 limousine service operator; provides that limousine service operators may continue of operate 13 under their current methods of operations until legislation has been enacted or rules adopted 14 and provides for the Virgin Islands Taxicab Commission to submit recommendations for 15 proposed legislation to the Legislature of the Virgin Islands. 16 BR23-0172/January 20, 2023/AA/Updated by SLR 17