Committee approves towing reforms and bans advertising of illegal substances as amendment to SB 73

The House Roads and Transportation Committee voted March 31 to pass Senate Bill 73 as amended, adopting two sponsor amendments that together ban advertising of illegal controlled substances and revise state oversight of predatory towing practices.

Amendment 7 would prohibit advertising an illegal substance as described on Indiana's controlled-substance list — the chair described the amendment as targeting marijuana advertising by billboards, rolling advertising trucks and mailers that promote dispensaries located out of state or outside the jurisdiction. The sponsor said the amendment does not legalize or criminalize substances beyond existing state law but would bar in-state advertising for substances that remain illegal in Indiana.

The committee also adopted Amendment 9, which removes a proposed towing board, creates a carve-out allowing the Attorney General's office to handle business-to-business emergency towing complaints under the Deceptive Consumer Sales Act (DCSA), and sets a bonding and…