HB 1653 Washington House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Concerning payments to tow truck operators for the release of vehicles to indigent citizens.

HB 1653 creates a state program to reimburse registered tow truck operators for releasing vehicles owned by indigent citizens who cannot afford towing costs. It applies to vehicles impounded on private property or by law enforcement (excluding those impounded after an arrest), requiring applicants to self-certify as indigent and owners, and operators to verify eligibility before submitting forms to the Department of Licensing. Reimbursement uses existing funds from towing service payments, with priority given to applications based on submission order if funds are limited. The bill requires annual reporting on program usage and prohibits tow operators from claiming liens on released vehicles.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 12, 2026 Last action Jan 12, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Bill → Substitute Bill · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to add a requirement for the department to establish maximum reimbursement rates and convene a stakeholder work group every two years to review these rules. The text was also reformatted from a standard bill layout to a substitute bill format with line numbers and page markers.

Scope change

The bill's scope regarding the creation of the indigent vehicle release program remains unchanged, but the scope of departmental authority was expanded to include rule-making for reimbursement limits.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new subsection (5)(b) requiring the department to consult with stakeholders and develop rules establishing maximum reimbursement rates for towing and storage services under the new program.

Added a requirement for the department to convene a stakeholder work group every two years to recommend amendments to the reimbursement rules.

TECHNICAL

Changed the bill header from 'House Bill' to 'Substitute House Bill' and updated the sponsor attribution to reflect committee sponsorship rather than individual sponsors.

Reformatted the entire document to include line numbers, page numbers, and a different header layout typical of substitute bills.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Jan 12, 2026

Committee

Referred to Transportation.

lower

Jan 12, 2026

Lower · Passed

Rules Committee relieved of further consideration.

lower

Jan 12, 2026

Introduced

By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.

lower

Feb 14, 2025

Committee

Referred to Rules 2 Review.

lower

Feb 12, 2025

Lower · Passed

Executive action taken in the House Committee on Transportation at 4:00 PM.

lower

Feb 3, 2025

Lower · Passed

Public hearing in the House Committee on Transportation at 4:00 PM.

lower

1 primary · 14 co-sponsors