This Amendment to House Bill No.

Plain English Breakdown

The official text does not provide specific details on how much is considered an excessive fee.

Amendment to House Bill No. 67

This amendment modifies towing laws in Pennsylvania by limiting exemptions for certain types of vehicle tows and adding new rules for municipalities to tow vehicles with unpaid parking tickets or traffic citations.

What This Bill Does

• Limits the exemption for towing under other chapters and sections of Title 21, focusing on pre-towing requirements, consent requirements, and incomplete tows.
• Adds provisions allowing municipalities to tow vehicles due to unpaid parking tickets or traffic citations.
• Requires all tow companies and storage facilities to comply with consumer protections after a tow is completed.

Who It Names or Affects

• People who have cars towed due to unpaid parking tickets or traffic citations.
• Tow truck companies and storage facilities.
• Municipalities that make rules about towing vehicles with unpaid fines.

Terms To Know

consumer protections

Rules that help protect people when they use services like tow trucks and storage places.

exemption

A rule that says certain things don't have to follow a law or regulation.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify what constitutes 'excessive' storage fees.
• It is unclear if this amendment will affect how police tow cars in emergencies.

Official Summary Text

This Amendment to House Bill No. 67 limits the exemption contained in the original bill for towing of vehicles under other chapters and sections of Title 21 (pertaining to abandoned vehicles, vehicles parked on public highways, unpaid parking tickets, and parking in fire lanes) to the provisions of the bill pertaining to pre-towing requirements, consent requirements, and incomplete tows. It also adds the towing of motor vehicles by a municipality authorized to tow a vehicle under a municipal ordinance, code, or regulation permitting the towing of a vehicle due to unpaid parking tickets or traffic citations to this exemption, and allows the towing of an abandoned vehicle under a municipal ordinance, code, or regulation equivalent to Chapter 44 of Title 21.
Under this amendment, all tow companies and storage companies, regardless of how the tow was initiated, must comply with the consumer protections required after a tow is completed, such as allowing customers to retrieve personal belongings and not imposing excessive storage fees.

Current Bill Text

Legislation Document

SPONSOR:

Rep. Osienski

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE AMENDMENT NO. 2

TO

HOUSE BILL NO. 67

AMEND House Bill No. 67 by deleting lines 34 through 37 in their entirety and inserting in lieu thereof the following:

“

(a) This chapter applies to non-consensual towing of motor vehicles weighing 5,000 pounds or less from private or public parking areas.

(b) Sections 6903A through 6905A of this chapter do not apply to the following:

(1) The towing of motor vehicles at the direction of police under Chapter 69 of this title.

(2) The towing of abandoned motor vehicles under Chapter 44 of this title or an equivalent municipal ordinance, code, or regulation.

(3) The towing of motor vehicles by a city, county, or state agency authorized to tow such vehicles under § 4181A or § 7003 of this title.

(4) The towing of motor vehicles by a municipality authorized to tow such vehicles under a municipal ordinance, code, or regulation that permits the towing of a vehicle due to unpaid parking tickets issued to the vehicle or unpaid traffic citations incurred while operating the vehicle.

”.

SYNOPSIS

This Amendment to House Bill No. 67 limits the exemption contained in the original bill for towing of vehicles under other chapters and sections of Title 21 (pertaining to abandoned vehicles, vehicles parked on public highways, unpaid parking tickets, and parking in fire lanes) to the provisions of the bill pertaining to pre-towing requirements, consent requirements, and incomplete tows. It also adds the towing of motor vehicles by a municipality authorized to tow a vehicle under a municipal ordinance, code, or regulation permitting the towing of a vehicle due to unpaid parking tickets or traffic citations to this exemption, and allows the towing of an abandoned vehicle under a municipal ordinance, code, or regulation equivalent to Chapter 44 of Title 21.

Under this amendment, all tow companies and storage companies, regardless of how the tow was initiated, must comply with the consumer protections required after a tow is completed, such as allowing customers to retrieve personal belongings and not imposing excessive storage fees.