The Senate Transportation Committee on April 8 advanced five House bills that would change how towing companies access owner data, add public hearing requirements for toll increases by the Parkways Authority, expand rules for approaching stationary vehicles, allow title claims for abandoned vehicles of any value, and require drivers to stop for moving on-track railroad equipment.

The most detailed debate centered on engrossed committee substitute for House Bill 2571, which would require the Division of Motor Vehicles to make certain “personal information” available to West Virginia towing and recovery companies regulated by the Public Service Commission and to alter its services or create a portal by July 1, 2025. Counsel explained the statute’s existing definition of “personal information” by reference to a separate code section that lists a photograph, Social Security number, driver identification number, name, address (excluding five-digit ZIP code), telephone number and medical or disability information as examples. Committee counsel Mariah told senators that the bill would give towing companies access to information “in order to provide notice to the owners of towed or impounded vehicles.”

Committee members raised privacy concerns over including Social Security numbers and other sensitive data. Senator from Randolph offered and the committee adopted an amendment limiting the DMV disclosures, for the bill’s purposes, to name, address, telephone number and email address (if available). John Springer, director of vehicle services at the West Virginia DMV, told the committee that for vehicle requests the DMV currently provides name and address and does not provide Social Security numbers: “Not for vehicle requests, no.” Springer also said phone numbers or email addresses may become available if they have been provided to the DMV. After the amendment passed, the vice chair from Taylor moved that the engrossed committee substitute for House Bill 2571, as amended, be reported with a recommendation that it do pass; the motion was adopted and the bill was referred first to the Committee on Finance.

The committee also advanced engrossed House Bill 2645, which would require the West Virginia Parkways Authority (the Turnpike/Parkways Authority) to hold public hearings before proposing toll increases and to provide public notice and website posting. Counsel explained a committee amendment that preserves the existing 20-day notice requirement in code, adds website notice, and states the hearing and notice requirements apply to future increases except to the extent they would contradict outstanding bond covenants or other contractual provisions. Nate Taney, general counsel for the Department of Transportation (under which the parkways authority operates), said he was “not a bond lawyer” but indicated the authority could run a public-hearing process and still structure a toll schedule for potential bond purchasers; he added he did not expect the language to affect current bonds in place. The strike-and-insert amendment was adopted and the bill was reported with a recommendation that it do pass, with an original double reference to the Committee on Finance.

On traffic-safety language, the committee approved an amendment to engrossed House Bill 2344 (listed in committee materials as a bill relating to traffic safety) that removes special categories (such as emergency or maintenance vehicles) and instead applies the statutory approach-yield-and-move-over requirement to all stationary vehicles. Counsel said the amendment also removes an unnecessary definition and omits references to prohibited green lights. The amendment was adopted and the bill was reported with an original double reference to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Engrossed House Bill 2948, which removes a current dollar-value cap on the ability of licensed motor vehicle dealers, licensed automobile auctions, motor vehicle repair facilities and registered towing companies to petition the DMV for a certificate of title for abandoned or junked motor vehicles, was reported by the committee to the Judiciary Committee. Counsel noted the bill would allow those entities to obtain title for abandoned or junk vehicles of any value and retain proceeds from sales. Counsel also noted ambiguities in the notice provisions in current law; historically the value cap had been raised from $2,500 (earlier law) to $7,500 in 2012 and to $9,500 in 2017, and the bill would remove that cap.

Finally, the committee adopted a strike-and-insert amendment to engrossed House Bill 3292 to clarify that drivers must observe existing stop-and-yield rules when moving on-track railroad equipment is present, with the stopping requirement limited to equipment that is moving (not merely parked). Counsel said the bill clarifies that the presence of one warning device (a gate, a flagger, a signal device, an audible warning, or a plainly visible train in hazardous proximity) triggers the stopping requirement. Violations carry misdemeanor penalties and driving-record points under the bill as amended. The amendment was adopted and the bill was reported with an original double reference to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Throughout the hearing, committee counsel and agency witnesses answered senators’ questions about the scope of disclosures, enforcement and how the new procedures would interact with existing bond covenants and agency rules. The Public Service Commission’s chairman, Charlotte Lane, confirmed the commission registers and can take enforcement action against certificated tow-truck operators and said a consumer who believes a tow company misused personal information could file a complaint with the commission.

Votes at a glance

- House Bill 2571 (towing-company access to DMV records): Amendment (limit disclosures to name, address, phone, email) adopted; committee reported bill as amended with recommendation that it do pass; original double reference to Committee on Finance. (Mover to report: Vice chair from Taylor.)

- House Bill 2645 (Parkways/turnpike toll increases; hearings/notice): Strike-and-insert amendment adopting notice and hearing rules adopted; committee reported bill as amended with recommendation that it do pass; original double reference to Committee on Finance. (Mover to report: Vice chair from Taylor.)

- House Bill 2344 (traffic safety; approach/move-over rules for stationary vehicles): Strike-and-insert amendment to apply requirements to all stationary vehicles adopted; committee reported bill as amended with recommendation that it do pass; original double reference to Committee on the Judiciary. (Mover to report: Vice chair from Taylor.)

- House Bill 2948 (abandoned/junk vehicle title thresholds): Committee reported bill with recommendation that it do pass; original double reference to Committee on the Judiciary. (Mover to report: Vice chair from Taylor.)

- House Bill 3292 (stop requirement for moving on-track railroad equipment): Strike-and-insert amendment limiting stopping requirement to moving on-track equipment adopted; committee reported bill as amended with recommendation that it do pass; original double reference to Committee on the Judiciary. (Mover to report: Vice chair from Taylor.)

What changed and what matters

- Towing and owner notification: The committee narrowed the scope of data towing companies can receive under HB 2571 to basic contact information for notification purposes; DMV testimony said Social Security numbers are not provided for vehicle requests today. The bill requires DMV to modify services or create a portal by July 1, 2025.

- Toll oversight: HB 2645 would increase procedural transparency for proposed toll increases, but counsel and witnesses emphasized that existing bond covenants could limit the authority’s ability to pause or reverse contractual rate adjustments until covenants expire or are renegotiated.

- Road and rail safety: Two bills tighten safety rules — applying move-over requirements to all stationary vehicles and clarifying stop requirements for moving rail equipment — with criminal penalties retained for violations.

- Abandoned-vehicle titles: HB 2948 would expand who may obtain title to abandoned or junk vehicles and remove the dollar-value cap that has been raised several times in past legislative sessions; counsel flagged ambiguities in the existing notice process the DMV follows before issuing titles.

The committee took no final floor action on any bill; each measure will continue to the committee named in the motion (Finance or Judiciary) for further consideration.