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Committee approves HB 217 to bar local time limits on stolen-vehicle reports, sets a 78‑hour window with carve-outs
Summary
HB 217 prohibits political subdivisions or police agencies from enforcing rules that bar reporting vehicle thefts and establishes a 78‑hour maximum delay after a rental agreement's scheduled return time; the first substitute was adopted and the bill was recommended unanimously.
Representative Tusher presented the first substitute to House Bill 217 after hearing from rental-industry constituents and police. The bill would prevent municipalities and police agencies from imposing rules that restrict a person's ability to report a vehicle stolen or that impose a time limit before a report may be filed. Representative Tusher said the first substitute allows a jurisdiction to set a prohibition on reporting up to 78 hours after the vehicle's scheduled return under a written rental agreement, but provides carve-outs allowing earlier reporting when there is evidence of theft (unauthorized use, fraud, express refusal to return, credible information the vehicle is being used in a crime, or intent to permanently deprive the owner).
Anna Faber, risk manager for Enterprise Mobility, described the operational burden rental companies face when inconsistent municipal policies delay reporting; she said Enterprise takes steps (demand letters, private investigators) before listing a vehicle stolen and supported the change to allow timely police intervention and vehicle recovery.
Committee members discussed whether the bill applies to private vehicles and how police triage and prosecution would be handled; sponsor and members clarified the bill prevents local policies that bar reporting while leaving policing priorities and prosecutorial discretion intact. The committee adopted the first substitute and voted unanimously to pass out the bill favorably.
