HB 223: Revise motor vehicle insurance laws to include commercial to truck costs - Montana

HB0223_1(7).pdf → HB0223_2(7).pdf · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was reformatted to correct the bill number and year, and the core policy language was updated to explicitly require insurance coverage for 'reasonable costs for towing' in addition to recovery and debris cleanup. This change clarifies that commercial tow truck operators are covered for the specific act of towing, not just recovery services, while maintaining the requirement that costs must stay within the policy's stated limits.

Scope change

The bill's scope was clarified to explicitly include 'towing' as a covered service alongside recovery and debris cleanup, whereas the previous version only mentioned recovery and services.

REQUIREMENT

Added 'REASONABLE costs for TOWING' to the list of covered expenses for commercial tow truck operators.

Added the phrase 'SUBJECT TO THE LIMITS IN THE POLICY' to ensure coverage does not exceed the maximum amounts specified in the insurance policy.

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill header to change the identifier from 'HB 223.1' to 'HB0223.2' and adjusted the year formatting.

HB0223_2(6).pdf → HB0223_1(7).pdf · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was renumbered from HB0223.2 to HB 223.1 and its title was simplified to remove the phrase 'reasonable costs for towing.' The core requirement remains unchanged: auto insurance policies must cover recovery and debris cleanup services provided by commercial tow truck operators, though the specific wording now omits the word 'reasonable.' The bill also includes a new applicability date of October 1, 2025, for policies issued or renewed on or after that date.

Scope change

The bill's scope regarding the required insurance coverage remains substantively the same, but the title was shortened and the applicability date was explicitly added as a new section.

REQUIREMENT

The bill title was changed to remove 'reasonable costs for towing,' though the text still mandates coverage for recovery and debris cleanup by commercial tow truck operators.

TIMELINE

A new Section 2 was added to specify that the act applies to motor vehicle insurance policies issued or renewed on or after October 1, 2025.

TECHNICAL

The bill number was updated from HB0223.2 to HB 223.1, and formatting changes were made to the header and title sections.

HB0223_1(6).pdf → HB0223_2(6).pdf · 2 edits

MINOR

The bill was amended to clarify that insurance coverage for commercial tow truck services must be reasonable and subject to the specific limits stated in the policy. The text was also reformatted to include a new section number and adjust the header layout for consistency.

Scope change

The scope of coverage was clarified to explicitly include 'towing' alongside recovery and services, while adding a condition that costs must be reasonable and within policy limits.

REQUIREMENT

Added the requirement that costs for towing, recovery, and services must be 'reasonable' and 'subject to the limits in the policy'.

TECHNICAL

Reformatted the bill header and section numbering to align with standard legislative formatting conventions.

HB0223_2(5).pdf → HB0223_1(6).pdf · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was renamed from HB 223.2 to HB 223.1 and its title was shortened to remove the phrase 'reasonable costs for towing,' replacing it with a focus on costs for recovery and services for commercial tow truck operators. The core requirement for insurance coverage remains largely the same, but the specific language regarding towing costs was altered. The applicability date was set to October 1, 2025, and the document was reorganized to include a new Section 2 explicitly stating this date.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed in its title by removing the explicit mention of 'reasonable costs for towing,' shifting the focus to recovery and services for commercial tow truck operators, though the underlying liability coverage requirements remain intact.

REQUIREMENT

The bill title was modified to remove the phrase 'reasonable costs for towing' and replace it with 'cover costs for recovery and services for commercial tow truck operators.'

TECHNICAL

The bill number was changed from HB0223.2 to HB 223.1, and the document structure was updated to include a new Section 2 for the applicability date.

TIMELINE

A new Section 2 was added to explicitly state that the act applies to motor vehicle insurance policies issued or renewed on or after October 1, 2025.

HB0223_1(5).pdf → HB0223_2.pdf · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was amended to clarify that insurance coverage for commercial tow truck operators must include 'reasonable costs' for towing, recovery, and debris cleanup, subject to the specific limits stated in the insurance policy. This change ensures that the required coverage is not unlimited but is explicitly defined within the policy terms, aligning the language with standard insurance practices.

Scope change

The scope of the bill remains focused on amending the Montana Code Annotated to require specific insurance coverage for commercial tow truck operators, but the language now explicitly references policy limits.

REQUIREMENT

The requirement for insurance coverage was updated to specify 'reasonable costs' for towing, recovery, and debris cleanup, rather than just 'costs for recovery and services'.

The phrase 'subject to the limits in the policy' was added to the description of coverage for commercial tow truck operators.

TECHNICAL

Minor formatting adjustments were made to the bill's header and section numbering to align with standard legislative formatting conventions.

LC0263.pdf → HB0223_1.pdf · 2 edits

MINOR

The bill was renumbered from LC 0263 to HB 223 and the sponsor was identified as J. Schillinger. The text of the substantive policy regarding motor vehicle insurance requirements remains unchanged, with only minor formatting adjustments to the page headers and a new 'END' marker added.

TECHNICAL

Bill number changed from LC 0263 to HB 223.1, and the sponsor was added as J. Schillinger.

An 'END' marker was inserted near the conclusion of the document text.

Revise motor vehicle insurance laws to include commercial to truck costs

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