Bill would require collision repair shops to report certain high-damage repairs to aid hit-and-run investigations; dealers raise compliance concerns

Senate Bill 92, discussed in the Commerce and Tourism Committee, would require collision repair shops to provide an "accident or collision repair work transaction" when vehicle damage exceeds $5,000 and a police crash report is not available. The measure is intended to give law enforcement a searchable record that could help solve hit-and-run cases.

Sponsor Senator Gruters framed the bill around local tragedies and statewide statistics: he cited last year's hit-and-run counts and fatalities and the role a good Samaritan and a repair shop played in locating a suspect in a 2022 fatality. State Attorney Ed Brodsky testified in support and described a recent string of serious crashes and the scale of hit-and-run incidents statewide, telling the committee the measure would give law enforcement important investigative tools.

The bill sets a damage threshold at $5,000 for requiring a crash-report filing or, if a crash report is not available, completion of the prescribed repair-transaction form. Senator Gruters said the form and system should be developed so law enforcement can access records; he also noted an amendment (barcode 442480) clarifying when the form is required was adopted.

Dealer representatives urged the sponsor to address practical implementation. David Rambo, representing the Florida Automobile Dealers Association, warned that the bill could impose criminal penalties and licensing risk on body-shop managers for paperwork lapses: "If my motor vehicle body shop repair manager does not have legible handwriting on this new form ... it's a second degree misdemeanor and I could lose my body shop license," he said, urging further drafting to avoid undue burdens and to specify which law-enforcement agency should receive records in a state with many jurisdictions.

Supporters, including law-enforcement and victim-advocate witnesses, said the proposal mirrors other successful reporting requirements (pawnshop registries, prescription-monitoring efforts) and could substantially help investigators. Senator Gruters said he would work with dealers and local stakeholders to reduce administrative burdens while ensuring access for law enforcement.

Committee outcome: The committee adopted a clarifying amendment and reported CS/SB 92 favorably by roll call. Sponsors said they will work on form design and implementation details with industry stakeholders before the measure advances.