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Subcommittee sends towing‑rate expansion bill back for fixes after industry and drafting questions
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Summary
House Bill 30 would extend state rate‑setting to light‑duty tows; the subcommittee heard industry testimony about insurance and jurisdictional gaps and agreed to address drafting questions (commercial vs. all light‑duty vehicles) before further action.
The Motor Vehicle and Transportation Subcommittee reviewed House Bill 30, which would add light‑duty towing to the Department of State Police’s rate‑setting authority established in earlier towing legislation.
Policy analyst Patrick Tracy said the bill builds on a prior medium‑ and heavy‑duty towing statute and that drafting questions remain — notably whether the measure is intended to cover only commercial tows or all light‑duty vehicles. Tracy flagged language that removed an explicit requirement for the state police to take recommendations from the towing commission; members agreed to restore or clarify that committee role.
Andrea Mansfield, speaking for towers, told the panel the towing commission still exists and will meet during the interim. Mansfield identified two insurance‑related issues: disputes over vehicles insured and registered out of state (where state insurance administrators may not have jurisdiction) and potential shortfalls in coverage when towers must clean up cargo or debris. “These issues actually came up a couple of years ago when this towing committee was created,” Mansfield said; her clients supported amendments that would charge the commission with examining those matters.
Members agreed the amendments Mansfield shared should be reviewed along with additional fixes to clarify the bill’s scope. The subcommittee did not vote on HB30 and asked staff to continue drafting and circulate proposed amendments to address commercial‑vehicle scope and restore committee‑recommendation language.
