| 1 | 1 | | BILL AS INTRODUCED H.346 |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | 2025 Page 1 of 5 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | VT LEG #381010 v.1 |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | H.346 1 |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | Introduced by Representatives Rachelson of Burlington and LaLonde of South 2 |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | Burlington 3 |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | Referred to Committee on 4 |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | Date: 5 |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | Subject: Motor vehicles; involuntary towing and storage; abandoned vehicles; 6 |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | stolen vehicles; consumer protection 7 |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to establish 8 |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | maximum reasonable rates for the towing and storage of abandoned motor 9 |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | vehicles, relieve crime victims from towing and storage charges related to a 10 |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | vehicle that was towed after being stolen, and establish a working group to 11 |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | examine funding mechanisms to reimburse towing services for costs incurred 12 |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | in towing and storing stolen vehicles. 13 |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | An act relating to charges for towing and storage of motor vehicles 14 |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | belonging to crime victims 15 |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 16 |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | Sec. 1. 23 V.S.A. § 2155 is amended to read: 17 |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | § 2155. FEES AND CHARGES 18 |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | (a) Towing fees. For towing an abandoned motor vehicle from private 19 |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | property, a towing service may charge a reasonable fee that is not more than 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.346 |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | 2025 Page 2 of 5 |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | VT LEG #381010 v.1 |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | $130.00 or $4.50 per mile towed, whichever is greater, to be paid by the 1 |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | vehicle owner or the landowner of the private property. 2 |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | (b) Storage charges. In addition to any towing fee, an owner or lienholder 3 |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | reclaiming an abandoned motor vehicle may be charged and shall pay a fee for 4 |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | the costs of storage of the vehicle that is not more than $35.00 per day, except 5 |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | that no fee may be charged for storage for any period preceding the date upon 6 |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | which the form for abandoned motor vehicle certification is sent to the 7 |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | Department. 8 |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | (c) Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (b) of this section or any other 9 |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | provision of law to the contrary, a person who has submitted a timely report to 10 |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | an appropriate law enforcement agency that a vehicle towed pursuant to the 11 |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | provisions of this subchapter was stolen shall not be liable for: 12 |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | (1) any towing fees assessed pursuant to the provisions of subsection (a) 13 |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | of this section; 14 |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | (2) any storage charges that accrue prior to seven days after the date on 15 |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | which a second notice is sent to the owner of the motor vehicle pursuant to the 16 |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | provisions of subdivision 2154(a)(3) of this subchapter; and 17 |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | (3) any related fees, charges, fines, or penalties assessed pursuant to a 18 |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | municipal parking or abandoned motor vehicle ordinance. 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.346 |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | 2025 Page 3 of 5 |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | VT LEG #381010 v.1 |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | Sec. 2. 23 V.S.A. § 2154 is amended to read: 1 |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | § 2154. IDENTIFICATION AND RECLAMATION OF ABANDONED 2 |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | MOTOR VEHICLES 3 |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | (a) The Department shall make a reasonable attempt to locate an owner of 4 |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | an abandoned motor vehicle. 5 |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | * * * 6 |
|---|
| 59 | 59 | | (3) If the abandoned motor vehicle has been reported as stolen to an 7 |
|---|
| 60 | 60 | | appropriate law enforcement agency or matches the description of a motor 8 |
|---|
| 61 | 61 | | vehicle that has been reported as stolen to an appropriate law enforcement 9 |
|---|
| 62 | 62 | | agency, the Department shall, within three business days after receipt of the 10 |
|---|
| 63 | 63 | | form for certification of abandoned motor vehicle, send notice to the registered 11 |
|---|
| 64 | 64 | | owner and lienholder of the vehicle. The notice shall be sent by certified mail, 12 |
|---|
| 65 | 65 | | return receipt requested, and shall advise the registered owner of the motor 13 |
|---|
| 66 | 66 | | vehicle’s location and a telephone number where additional information about 14 |
|---|
| 67 | 67 | | the motor vehicle may be obtained. If the receipt is not returned to the 15 |
|---|
| 68 | 68 | | Department within seven business days, the Commissioner shall, by first-class 16 |
|---|
| 69 | 69 | | mail, send a second notice. 17 |
|---|
| 70 | 70 | | * * * 18 |
|---|
| 71 | 71 | | Sec. 3. STOLEN, ABANDONED VEHICLES ; REMOVAL AND 19 |
|---|
| 72 | 72 | | STORAGE; COSTS; WORKING GROUP; REPORT 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.346 |
|---|
| 73 | 73 | | 2025 Page 4 of 5 |
|---|
| 74 | 74 | | |
|---|
| 75 | 75 | | |
|---|
| 76 | 76 | | VT LEG #381010 v.1 |
|---|
| 77 | 77 | | (a) Creation. There is created the Costs for Removal and Storage of 1 |
|---|
| 78 | 78 | | Abandoned, Stolen Motor Vehicles Working Group to identify funding and a 2 |
|---|
| 79 | 79 | | process for reimbursing towing services and municipalities for costs related to 3 |
|---|
| 80 | 80 | | the removal and storage of abandoned, stolen motor vehicles. 4 |
|---|
| 81 | 81 | | (b) Membership. The Working Group shall be composed of the following 5 |
|---|
| 82 | 82 | | members: 6 |
|---|
| 83 | 83 | | (1) the Treasurer or designee; 7 |
|---|
| 84 | 84 | | (2) the Attorney General or designee; 8 |
|---|
| 85 | 85 | | (3) the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles or designee; and 9 |
|---|
| 86 | 86 | | (4) the Executive Director for the Center for Crime Victim Services or 10 |
|---|
| 87 | 87 | | designee. 11 |
|---|
| 88 | 88 | | (c) Powers and duties. The Working Group shall study potential sources of 12 |
|---|
| 89 | 89 | | funding and processes for reimbursing towing services and municipalities for 13 |
|---|
| 90 | 90 | | fees, charges, and other amounts that the towing service or municipality is 14 |
|---|
| 91 | 91 | | unable to collect pursuant to the provisions of 23 V.S.A. § 2155(c). 15 |
|---|
| 92 | 92 | | (d) Report. On or before November 15, 2025, the Working Group shall 16 |
|---|
| 93 | 93 | | submit a written report to the House and Senate Committees on Judiciary and 17 |
|---|
| 94 | 94 | | on Transportation with its findings and any recommendations for legislative 18 |
|---|
| 95 | 95 | | action. 19 |
|---|
| 96 | 96 | | (e) Meetings. 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.346 |
|---|
| 97 | 97 | | 2025 Page 5 of 5 |
|---|
| 98 | 98 | | |
|---|
| 99 | 99 | | |
|---|
| 100 | 100 | | VT LEG #381010 v.1 |
|---|
| 101 | 101 | | (1) The Treasurer or designee shall call the first meeting of the Working 1 |
|---|
| 102 | 102 | | Group to occur on or before September 1, 2025. 2 |
|---|
| 103 | 103 | | (2) The Treasurer or designee shall be the Chair. 3 |
|---|
| 104 | 104 | | (3) A majority of the membership shall constitute a quorum. 4 |
|---|
| 105 | 105 | | (4) The Working Group shall cease to exist on December 31, 2025. 5 |
|---|
| 106 | 106 | | Sec. 4. EFFECTIVE DATES 6 |
|---|
| 107 | 107 | | (a) This section and Sec. 3 of this act shall take effect on passage. 7 |
|---|
| 108 | 108 | | (b) Secs. 1 and 2 of this act shall take effect on July 1, 2026. 8 |
|---|