Committee hears extended‑stay 'innkeeper' bill after hotel industry testifies to repeated nonpayment and safety concerns; bill tabled

Lawmakers heard extended testimony on House Bill 183, a proposal to clarify rights and remedies for innkeepers when guests overstay or refuse to pay. Sponsors and hotel‑industry witnesses said the bill would provide a clear ejectment procedure, a short notice period and a lien/storage process for guest property; opponents and questioners pressed for due‑process safeguards and circumscription to avoid unintended consequences.

The sponsor, Representative Seebaugh (presenting the measure through an author identified as Bruce), told the committee the legislation “clarifies and strengthens the rights of innkeepers in managing guest occupancy” and said it is intended to prevent a small subset of long‑term nonpaying guests from exploiting landlord‑tenant law to frustrate eviction. The sponsor summarized the bill’s core points: clarifying guest versus tenant status; classifying overstaying extended‑stay guests as trespassers (in specified circumstances); restoring an immediate removal remedy; and…