Gov. Timothy M. Kaine signed two bills today to repeal the so-called abusive driver fees.

The fees, which were intended to penalize drunken and reckless drivers and raise money for highway maintenance, angered many Virginia residents because they didn't apply to out of state drivers and fined some drives as much as $3,000.

The new laws repealed the fees go into effect immediately and provide refunds for citizens against whom the fees have been assessed.

Kaine called for the fees' repeal in his State of the Commonwealth address in January.

"After six months of implementation, it was clear that the fees did not improve the safety of Virginia highways," Kaine said in a news release.

"The citizens of Virginia expressed concerns regarding these fees, and based on these concerns, I have signed the bills that repeal the fees. I thank Senator Edd Houck and Delegate Tim Hugo for sponsoring the repeal bills."

Houck said the fees were a mistake made in earnest as legislators tried to solve the transportation issue.

"This was simply the wrong way to go about funding transportation," he said. "And today is the day we correct all that."

Citizens who have paid any portion of an abusive driver fee will receive a refund from the Department of Accounts. No further action is required to receive the refund. All outstanding fees will be waived and considered satisfied. Individuals should not pay any bills they receive from the courts for an abusive driver fee. However, individuals still must pay any court fines that were assessed. For additional information regarding the return of abusive driver fees, drivers can call the Department of Accounts at 804-225-2376.

Drivers whose privilege to drive was suspended solely for failure to pay an abusive driver fee will be notified by the Department of Motor Vehicles that they are eligible to receive a license. These individuals may receive a new license free of charge at a DMV customer service center. For additional information regarding license re-instatement, drivers can call DMV Direct at 866-368-5463.