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Committee backs measure creating misdemeanor offense for equipment rental holdovers
Summary
House Bill 201 as amended would create a theft-of-services-style misdemeanor for renters who intentionally keep rented equipment beyond agreed terms but return it later; proponents said civil remedies often fail, county attorneys supported limited criminal penalties and the committee reported the bill favorably.
The House Judiciary Committee reported House Bill 201 favorably after adopting a committee substitute that, sponsors said, creates a misdemeanor pathway to address intentional holdovers of rented equipment even when the item is later returned.
Representative Matt Lockett, sponsor of the bill, said the measure updates prior language and relocates certain conduct from the theft-of-services statute into the theft statute to give rental businesses clearer criminal remedies when customers keep equipment beyond the agreed rental term. Ian Goff, a business owner who testified, described common scenarios in which a customer pays for…
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