FIRSTREGULARSESSION
HOUSECOMMITTEESUBSTITUTEFOR
HOUSEBILLNO.745
103RDGENERALASSEMBLY
1887H.02C JOSEPHENGLER,ChiefClerk
ANACT
Toamendchapter304,RSMo,byaddingtheretoonenewsectionrelatingtotowingof
commercialvehicles,withpenaltyprovisions.
BeitenactedbytheGeneralAssemblyofthestateofMissouri,asfollows:
SectionA.Chapter304,RSMo,isamendedbyaddingtheretoonenewsection,tobe
2knownassection304.162,toreadasfollows:
304.162.1.Asusedinthissection,thefollowingtermsmean:
2 (1)"Commercialvehicle",anyself-propelledortowedvehiclethathasagross
3vehicleweightratingofmorethantenthousandpounds;
4 (2)"Department",thedepartmentoftransportation;
5 (3)"Grossvehicleweightrating",thesamemeaninggiventotheterminsection
6302.700;
7 (4)"Nonconsensualtow",themovementortransportationofacommercial
8vehiclebyatowtruckifsuchmovementortransportationisperformedwithoutthe
9priorconsentorauthorizationoftheowneroroperatorofthecommercialvehicle.Such
10termalsoincludesanytowofacommercialvehicleorderedbyalawenforcement
11agencywithoutthepriorconsentorauthorizationoftheowneroroperatorofthe
12commercialvehicle;
13 (5)"Towtruck",thesamemeaninggiventotheterminsection304.153;
14 (6)"Towingcompany",thesamemeaninggiventotheterminsection304.153.
15 2.Thedepartmentoftransportationshallestablishprocedurestoaddress
16nonconsensualtowing,recovery,andcleanuppracticesrelatedtotheremovalof
17commercialvehiclesfromroadways;procedurestoreceive,investigate,andadjudicate
18complaintsfromanowner,operator,orinsurerofacommercialvehicleinvolvedina
EXPLANATION—Matterenclosedinbold-facedbrackets[thus] intheabovebillisnotenactedandis
intendedtobeomittedfromthelaw.Matterinbold-facetypeintheabovebillisproposedlanguage. 19nonconsensualtow;andproceduresforprohibitingtowingcompaniesfromperforming
20nonconsensualtowsiftheyarefoundtobeinviolationofthissection.Theprocedures
21developedunderthissectionshallbecontainedinthedepartmentoftransportation's
22towingservicesstandardsmanual.Allnonconsensualtowing,recovery,andcleanup
23practicesshallcomplywiththissection,thedepartmentoftransportation'stowing
24servicesstandardsmanual,andallotherapplicablelawsandregulations.
25 3.Theproceduresestablishedbythedepartmentunderthissectionshall
26include,ataminimum:
27 (1)Aprocessforanowner,operator,orinsurerofacommercialvehicletofilea
28complaintagainstatowingcompany.Allcomplaintsfiledunderthissectionshall
29containthenameofthecomplainant;thecomplainant'saddress;thecomplainant's
30phonenumber;thecomplainant'semailaddress,ifavailable;thenameofthetowing
31company;thecausesofthecomplaint;andanyotherfactsanddocumentation
32determinedbyruletobeofassistancetothedepartmentininvestigatingthecomplaint;
33 (2)Aprocessforthedepartmenttoreviewacomplaintandanysupportingfacts
34anddocumentationandtorenderaninitialfinding.Thedepartmentshallensureits
35processincludesanopportunityforthecomplainantortowingcompanytoappealan
36initialdecisionbeforethedepartmentmakesafinaldeterminationonthematter;
37 (3)Factorsthedepartmentshallconsiderindeterminingwhetheracharge
38leviedbyatowingcompanywasfairandreasonable.Suchfactorsmayinclude,without
39limitation,whetherthetowingvehicles,allotherequipment,andnumberofemployees
40andcontractorswererequiredtocompletethetow;whetherthechargesarefair,
41reasonable,andcustomary;whetherthetotalamountoftimerequiredfortheservice
42wasnecessary;thelocationofthevehiclebeingrecovered;materialsorcargoinvolved;
43andanyotherinformationregardingtherecovery,towing,orstorageofacommercial
44vehicle;
45 (4)Requirementsforinformationthatshallbeincludedoneverynonconsensual
46towingandrecoveryinvoice,suchasthename,address,andtelephonenumberofthe
47towingcompany;thedateandtimethattherequestforservicewasreceived;contact
48informationforthepartythatrequestedtheservice;andthetimeofdispatch,timeof
49arrivalatthescene,andtimeatwhichthescenewascleared.Everyinvoicefora
50nonconsensualtowshallincludethewords:
51 "NonconsensualtowsareregulatedbytheMissouriDepartmentof
52 Transportation.Ifyoufeelthatyouhavebeentreatedunfairlyorprovideda
53 servicethatwasunnecessary,youmayfileacomplaintwiththeMissouri
54 DepartmentofTransportation.";and
HCSHB745 2 55 (5)Adisciplinarymatrixforanytowingcompanyfoundtobeinviolationofthis
56sectionorthedepartmentoftransportation'stowingservicesstandardsmanual.The
57matrixshall:
58 (a)Beweightedbasedontheseverityandnumberofviolations;
59 (b)Includeprovisionsfortemporarilyorpermanentlyprohibitingatowing
60companyfromperformingnonconsensualtows;and
61 (c)IncludeaprocessforthedepartmenttocommunicatetotheMissouristate
62highwaypatrolandotherstateandlocallawenforcementandemergencyservices
63agenciesanysuspensionorrevocationofatowingcompany'sauthoritytoperform
64nonconsensualtows.
65 4.Toassistthedepartmentinimplementingthissection,thedepartmentmay
66establisha"TowingandRecoveryReviewBoard".
67 (1)Theboardshallconsistofsevenmemberstobeappointedbythedirectorof
68thedepartmentoftransportation,including:
69 (a)Onememberwhoisanemployeeofthedepartment;
70 (b)OnememberwhoisanemployeeoftheMissouristatehighwaypatrol;
71 (c)Onememberrepresentinglocallawenforcementagenciesinthisstate;
72 (d)Onememberrepresentingmotorcarriersinthisstate;
73 (e)Onememberrepresentingtowingcompaniesinthisstate;
74 (f)Onememberrepresentingindependentowner-operatortruckdriversinthis
75state;and
76 (g)Onememberrepresentinginsurancecompaniesinthisstate.
77 (2)Membersoftheboardshallservewithoutcompensation,shallservethree-
78yearterms,andshallservefornomorethantwoconsecutiveterms.
79 (3)Theboard'sprimaryfunctionsshallincludeassistingthedepartmentin
80reviewingeachcomplaint,identifyingpotentialviolationsofthetowingservices
81standardsmanual,makingrecommendationsfortheinitialdetermination,and
82approvingorrejectingafinaldeterminationofthedepartment.
83 5.Ifanowneroroperatorofacommercialvehiclerequeststheuseofaspecific
84towingcompany,lawenforcementagenciesshallhonorthatrequest,unless:
85 (1)Therequestedtowingcompanycannotarriveatthelocationofthevehicle
86withinareasonabletime;
87 (2)Atrafficsafetyproblemexistsandtherequestedtowingcompanycannot
88arriveatthelocationofthevehiclewithinthirtyminutes;or
89 (3)Thecommercialvehicleisdisabledintheroadwayandtherequestedtowing
90companycannotarriveatthelocationofthevehiclewithinthirtyminutes.
HCSHB745 3 91 6.Ifthedepartmentoftransportationorthetowingandrecoveryreviewboard
92determinesthereisagenuinedisputeastothereasonablenessoramountofthefees
93assessedbyatowingcompanyforanonconsensualtow,thetowingcompanyshall
94releasethecommercialvehicleandcargototheowner,operator,orinsurerofthe
95commercialvehicleandcargowithoutthevehicleownerpayinganyportionofthefees
96assessed.
97 7.Notowingcompanyshalluseaperpoundmethodofchargingfora
98nonconsensualtow.
99 8.Storagechargesforanonconsensualtowshallceaseaccruinguponthedatea
100complaintisfiledwiththedepartmentoftransportation.
101 9.Notwithstandinganyprovisionoflawtothecontrary,anonconsensualtowor
102associatedstoragechargesshallnotcreatealienonacommercialvehicleoritscargo.
103 10.Atowingcompanyshallprovidereasonableaccesstoanowner,operator,or
104insurerofacommercialvehiclethatisthesubjectofanonconsensualtowforthe
105followingpurposes:
106 (1)Collectionofpersonalpropertyfromwithinthevehicle;
107 (2)Investigationorreconstructionofanaccidentscene;or
108 (3)Retrievalofdatafromthecommercialvehicle'scomputersystem.
109 11.Notowingcompanyshallperformanonconsensualtowwhenitisprohibited
110bythedepartmentoftransportationfromperformingnonconsensualtows.Atowing
111companythatviolatesthissubsectionshallbesubjecttoacivilpenaltyoftwenty-five
112thousanddollarsperviolation.
113 12.Thissectionshallapplyonlytononconsensualtows.Thissectionshallnot
114applyifanowner,operator,orinsurerofacommercialvehiclerequeststheuseofa
115specifictowingcompanyandtherequestishonored.
116 13.Thedepartmentoftransportationshallpromulgaterulesasnecessaryforthe
117implementationofthissection.Anyruleorportionofarule,asthattermisdefinedin
118section536.010,thatiscreatedundertheauthoritydelegatedinthissectionshall
119becomeeffectiveonlyifitcomplieswithandissubjecttoalloftheprovisionsofchapter
120536and,ifapplicable,section536.028.Thissectionandchapter536arenonseverable
121andifanyofthepowersvestedwiththegeneralassemblypursuanttochapter536to
122review,todelaytheeffectivedate,ortodisapproveandannularulearesubsequently
123heldunconstitutional,thenthegrantofrulemakingauthorityandanyruleproposedor
124adoptedafterAugust28,2025,shallbeinvalidandvoid.
HCSHB745 4 125 14.Actualcoststoimplementthissectionshallbeappropriatedtothe
126departmentfromthegeneralrevenuefund.
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HCSHB745 5