Committee advances bill to require PennDOT to process salvage and abandoned-vehicle paperwork within 10 business days

The House Transportation Committee advanced House Bill 593, a measure that would require the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to complete specified processing steps for abandoned vehicles and certificates of salvage within 10 business days.

Supporters said the bill seeks to address extended processing times that leave tow operators storing vehicles for months while awaiting PennDOT authorization to dispose of or title salvaged vehicles.

Committee staff Kyle summarized the bill, saying PennDOT would be required to notify, by certified mail, the last known registered owner and all lienholders of record; publish notice once in a newspaper of general circulation if owners or lienholders cannot be determined; and process authorization for disposal of an abandoned vehicle within 10 business days. The staff summary added that applications for certificates of salvage and salvage-report reviews must also be approved or denied within 10 business days.

Chairman Ed Nielsen, the bill sponsor, told the committee tow operators sometimes wait as long as six months for documents from PennDOT and that the legislation “will fix that.” The staff summary noted the bill received committee approval and House passage last session, with prior committee approval 25–0 and House passage 201–1.

No amendments were filed; committee members did not record any negative votes during the discussion, and the bill was slated to be reported as committed from the committee.

If enacted, the bill would alter PennDOT’s administrative timelines for processing abandoned-vehicle authorizations and salvage certificates. Tow operators and vehicle-recovery businesses would likely be the primary groups affected by the change.