An Act to Repeal the Provisions of Law Requiring Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance Policies to Cover the Cost of Towing and Storing Certain Vehicles

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132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST SPECIAL SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 1401
H.P. 923 House of Representatives, April 1, 2025
An Act to Repeal the Provisions of Law Requiring Motor Vehicle
Liability Insurance Policies to Cover the Cost of Towing and Storing
Certain Vehicles
Reference to the Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services
suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative MORRIS of Turner.
Cosponsored by Representatives: FOLEY of Wells, SWALLOW of Houlton, WADSWORTH
of Hiram, Senators: STEWART of Aroostook, TIMBERLAKE of Androscoggin.

Page 1 - 132LR1751(01)
1Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
2Sec. 1. 29-A MRSA §1605, sub-§1, ¶C, as amended by PL 2023, c. 395, Pt. A,
3 §1, is further amended to read:
4 C. Be in the amount or limit of at least:
5 (1) For damage to property, $25,000;
6 (2) For injury to or death of any one person, $50,000;
7 (3) For one accident resulting in injury to or death of more than one person,
8 $100,000; and
9 (4) For medical payments pursuant to section 1605‑A, $2,000; and .
10 ( 5) For towing and storage charges pursuant to section 1605‑B, $500.
11Sec. 2. 29-A MRSA §1605-B, as enacted by PL 2023, c. 395, Pt. A, §2, is repealed.
12Sec. 3. 29-A MRSA §1861, first ¶, as amended by PL 2023, c. 395, Pt. A, §3, is
13 further amended to read:
14 A person holding or storing an abandoned vehicle, holding or storing a vehicle towed
15 at the request of the vehicle's operator, owner or owner's agent or holding or storing a
16 vehicle stored at the request of a law enforcement officer may hold the vehicle and all its
17 accessories, contents and equipment, not including the personal effects of the registered
18 owner, until reasonable towing and storage charges of the person holding or storing the
19 vehicle are paid, except that a person may not hold the perishable cargo of a commercial
20 motor vehicle, as defined in 49 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 390.5, as amended, when
21 the perishable cargo being transported in interstate or intrastate commerce is not owned by
22 the motor carrier or driver of the commercial motor vehicle being held and the person
23 holding or storing the towed vehicle is presented with evidence of insurance, as defined in
24 section 1551, covering the commercial motor vehicle and the vehicle's cargo. For purposes
25 of this paragraph, "perishable cargo" means cargo of a commercial motor vehicle that is
26 subject to spoilage or decay or is marked with an expiration date. The owner of the vehicle
27 shall maintain, at a minimum, the amounts of motor vehicle financial responsibility in
28 accordance with section 1605‑B to pay the reasonable towing and storage charges of the
29 person holding or storing the vehicle.
30SUMMARY
31 This bill repeals the laws requiring motor vehicle liability coverage in an amount up to
32 $500 per accident for the towing and storage charges incurred as a result of an accident
33 involving the insured vehicle if the vehicle is towed at the request of a law enforcement
34 officer.
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