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H3516 • 2025

An Act to prevent predatory towing fees for police-authorized tows

An Act to prevent predatory towing fees for police-authorized tows

Energy
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The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Michael P. Kushmerek (By Request)
Last action
2026-03-23
Official status
Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act to prevent predatory towing fees for police-authorized tows

An Act to prevent predatory towing fees for police-authorized tows By Representative Kushmerek of Fitchburg (by request), a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act to prevent predatory towing fees for police-authorized tows By Representative Kushmerek of Fitchburg (by request), a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
  • 3516) of Emilio Nazario III that the Department of Utilities establish a list of approved charges for towing and storage services provided by towing companies contracted by state or local police departments.
  • Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy.
  • Status: Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-23 House

    Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means

  2. 2025-12-04 House

    Reporting date extended to Wednesday, March 18, 2026

  3. 2025-08-04 House

    Reporting date extended to Wednesday, December 3, 2025

  4. 2025-04-30 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 05/06/2025 from 11:00 AM-01:00 PM in A-2

  5. 2025-02-27 House

    Referred to the committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy

  6. 2025-02-27 Senate

    Senate concurred

Official Summary Text

An Act to prevent predatory towing fees for police-authorized tows
By Representative Kushmerek of Fitchburg (by request), a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3516) of Emilio Nazario III that the Department of Utilities establish a list of approved charges for towing and storage services provided by towing companies contracted by state or local police departments. Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy.
Status:
Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
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Bill H.3516

SECTION 1:

Establishment of Approved Towing and Storage Fees

1. The Department of Utilities shall establish a list of approved charges for towing and storage services provided by towing companies contracted by state or local police departments.

2. The list of approved charges shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

a. Maximum fees for towing services, based on vehicle size and weight.

b. Maximum fees for storage services, based on the length of time the vehicle is stored.

c. Maximum fees for additional services, such as winching, dolly fees, or special equipment

fees.

3. The list of approved charges shall be reviewed and updated by the Department of Utilities at least once every two years to ensure that it remains reflective of current market conditions.

4. The Department of Utilities shall make the list of approved charges publicly available on its website and provide copies to all towing companies contracted by state or local police departments.

SECTION 2:

Compliance and Enforcement

1. All towing companies contracted by state or local police departments shall adhere to the list of approved charges established pursuant to Section 1 of this Act when invoicing vehicle owners for towing and storage services.

2. Any towing company found to be in violation of this Act shall be subject to a penalty for each offense.

3. The Department of Utilities shall have the authority to investigate complaints of violations of this Act and may inspect the records of any towing company contracted by state or local police departments to ensure compliance.

4. The Department of Utilities shall have the authority to suspend or revoke the contract of any towing company found to be in repeated or willful violation of this Act.

5. The Department of Utilities shall promulgate regulations to implement the provisions of this Act.

6. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit or restrict the authority of any law enforcement agency to tow or impound vehicles pursuant to existing law. Typically, the effective date of a legislative bill is determined based on various factors, such as the complexity of the implementation process, the need for regulatory rule-making or other administrative actions, and the need for public awareness or education.

The bill takes effect 90 or 120 days after passage, to allow for administrative implementation.

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