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SB 1449 Connecticut Senate · 2025 Regular Session

AN ACT CONCERNING MEDIUM-DUTY AND HEAVY-DUTY TOWING.

SB 1449 regulates medium-duty (10,000-26,000 lbs) and heavy-duty (over 26,000 lbs) towing services in Connecticut. It requires that only licensed motor vehicle dealers or repair shops may operate these services, replacing previous rules. The bill mandates the state commissioner to set and publish uniform hourly rates and itemized charges for medium/heavy towing, considering factors like equipment costs and insurance, with public hearings for rate adjustments. This directly affects towing companies providing these services and vehicle owners who may be towed without consent, ensuring rates are transparent and just. The law takes effect July 1, 2025.
Issues: ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationRegulates towing services via licensing and rate standardization, enhancing vehicle safety and consumer protection under motor vehicle department oversight.85% confidence
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Mar 5, 2025 Last action Apr 7, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Raised Bill → TRA Joint Favorable Substitute · 6 edits
MODERATE
The bill reorganizes and clarifies definitions for different types of towing services (light, medium, and heavy-duty) and updates rate-setting procedures. It adds hourly rate requirements for medium and heavy-duty towing, clarifies what constitutes nonconsensual towing, and modifies the commissioner's authority to establish and review rates. These changes aim to improve transparency, ensure fair pricing, and better regulate the wrecker service industry.
Scope change
The bill expands the scope of regulated towing services by explicitly defining light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty towing categories and adjusting the commissioner's rate-setting authority accordingly.
DEFINITION

Added new definitions for 'light-duty towing or transporting' (under 10,000 lbs) and modified definitions for medium and heavy-duty towing to include 'transporting' in addition to 'towing'.

Clarified 'nonconsensual towing' to explicitly require lack of prior consent or authorization from the vehicle owner or operator.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirement for the commissioner to establish hourly rates and itemized charges for medium-duty and heavy-duty towing services.

Modified rate-setting procedures to include consideration of equipment costs, risk to workers, insurance costs, and transportation producer price index for medium and heavy-duty services.

Changed rate review frequency from 'not more frequently than once every two years' to allow more flexible review based on advisory council recommendations.

ENFORCEMENT

Added restrictions preventing wrecker services from charging for services not included in the published schedule for medium and heavy-duty towing.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
9
Key actions
1
Committee
2
Mar 19, 2025
Upper · Passed
Joint Favorable Substitute
upper
Mar 5, 2025
Committee
REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Transportation
upper
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.