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House approves statewide reciprocal tow‑truck license; bill limits duplicate municipal fees
Summary
The House passed Senate Bill 4, creating a state-recognized reciprocal tow‑truck license to reduce duplicate inspections and fees across municipalities, while allowing cities to require inspections for vehicles operating within their jurisdiction; the bill carried a floor amendment excluding noncommercial owner-towed vehicles and passed the House vote as recorded.
The Utah House considered Senate Bill 4 (Tow Truck and Impound Regulation Act) on Feb. 9, 1995, uncircled the bill for debate, adopted a floor amendment and passed the bill on a recorded vote.
Judge Jean Barr, introduced on the floor as the bill presenter, told members the bill would prevent cities from requiring multiple licenses for a single tow-truck company that operates across jurisdictions by establishing a reciprocal state license. Judge Barr said the reciprocal license would be recognized statewide except where a towing company maintains multiple distinct operations and needs separate licenses. She explained that the bill would preserve a municipal government's ability to require an inspection for tow trucks that operate specifically within that city but would bar duplicative fees where an inspection has already been performed elsewhere.
Representative Evans moved a friendly amendment to exempt persons towing their own noncommercial vehicles from licensing requirements; the amendment was adopted. Members raised concerns about traditional municipal "rotation" lists used to distribute tow calls and whether those administrative practices would survive the new law. The sponsor clarified that the bill does not eliminate local lists and that municipalities retain administrative discretion consistent with the bill's conflict clause.
The House closed debate and the floor record shows the vote tally as 55 yes and 15 no; the transcript records that the bill passed and would be returned to the Senate for concurrence. Representative Jean Barr and floor members who discussed the bill are quoted on the House record and appear in the attribution whitelist below.
