Subcommittee approves amendment to bill changing towing, booting rules; bill moves to full finance

The Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee voted 12-0 April 21 to amend and advance House Bill 972, a cleanup bill addressing towing and vehicle-booting rules, to the full Finance Committee.

Representative McCallum, sponsor of House Bill 972, told members the bill is “essentially ... a clean up to our motion act from last year.” He said the bill adds “clarifying language with regards to towing,” permits U.S. mail as a form of notice to customers “as long as it is 3 day or sooner,” shortens a towing window “from 48 hours to 12 hours,” and “clarifies situations in which a vehicle can be towed off of private property.”

The committee considered an amendment filed by Chairman Williams, identified in committee discussion as drafting code “8000 and 16” and elsewhere referred to as Amendment 8,016. Williams described the amendment as preserving a limited role for vehicle boots while adding consumer protections under state guidance: licensed firms, a company bond, and an electronic means to remove the boot. Williams said the change was motivated by safety concerns for drivers in downtown areas and gave a personal example: his “daughter who’s 21” might be at risk if forced to walk in an unsafe area after a vehicle is immobilized. He said the amendment would set “a minimum fine for a boot at $75.”

Committee members voted on the amendment first; the chair announced the amendment passed by voice vote and the bill then proceeded to a recorded vote. The clerk reported a final tally of 12 ayes and 0 noes on House Bill 972 as amended. The chair announced, “House Bill 972 moves to full finance.”

Chairman Hicks announced the full Finance Committee will reconvene at 2:50 p.m. The subcommittee recessed following the vote.

The record given to the committee did not specify the mover or seconder for the motions on the amendment or final passage, nor did it provide the full text of the bill or the amendment in the transcript excerpt. The discussion indicates the amendment adds requirements (bond, licensure, electronic removal) and sets a $75 minimum fine for booting, and that the bill shortens a towing window from 48 hours to 12 hours and allows mailed notice under a “3 day or sooner” condition. Further textual details and statutory cross-references were not specified in the transcript excerpt.