2017 -- H 6079

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LC002355

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2017

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- THE TOWING STORAGE ACT

     Introduced By: Representatives Tobon, Barros, Cunha, Maldonado, and Marshall

     Date Introduced: April 05, 2017

     Referred To: House Corporations

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Chapter 39-12.1 of the General Laws entitled "The Towing Storage Act" is

hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

     39-12.1-6.1. Towing storage facility access.

     (a) A certified tower must have a person working in an office that is within or in the

immediate vicinity of its towing storage facility during normal business hours, and who is able to

provide service to the registered owner.

     (b) A certified tower and its towing storage facility shall maintain easily accessible

publicly listed telephone numbers where they can be contacted. If the telephone numbers are

changed from the numbers in their most recent records with the public utilities administrator, the

certified tower and towing storage facility shall provide the public utilities administrator written

notice of the change prior to the date(s) the new numbers are used. The notice shall include the

certified tower's and towing storage facility's name, locations, license numbers, old telephone

numbers and the new telephone numbers.

     (c) A certified tower shall maintain its storage facility clear of any obstacles and debris at

all times, to enable the safe and effective movement of stored vehicles upon all portions of the

facility, regardless of prevailing weather conditions.

     (d) A certified tower and towing storage facility shall provide reasonable hours of

operation to allow access to a towed vehicle and shall grant access to the towed vehicle during its

posted hours of operation for the purpose of inspection and retrieval by the registered owner or a

person authorized by the registered owner. Any certified tower or towing storage facility who

fails to comply with this section shall be fined the amount of one hundred dollars ($100) for the

first hour the registered owner is unable to retrieve the vehicle, and twenty-five dollars ($25.00)

for each additional hour, until such time as the vehicle is retrieved by the registered owner.

     (e) For purposes of this section, "towing storage facility" means the location where a

vehicle has been towed and is securely stored by the certified tower.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- THE TOWING STORAGE ACT

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     This act would require towers and towing storage facilities have accessible personnel and

phone numbers to assist vehicle owners with the vehicle retrieval, and would also require that a

towing storage facility be free of all obstacles and debris.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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