Vehicle Towing Consumer Protection

The act requires the department of regulatory agencies (department) to conduct a sunset review of the public utilities commission's (commission) regulation of towing carriers in 2025 and changes the department's sunset review of the towing task force (task force) from 2024 to 2025. As part of its sunset review of the commission's regulation of towing carriers, the department must review complaints against towing carriers and whether the towing industry and consumers would benefit from dispute resolution of complaints.

The act adds 5 members to the task force to represent:

• Mobile home owners in the state;
• The attorney general with experience enforcing the "Colorado Consumer Protection Act";
• People with disabilities;
• Common interest communities; and
• Communities that might be disproportionately affected by nonconsensual towing, such as communities of color, immigrant communities, elderly communities, and rural communities.

The following changes are made to membership:

• The member who represents an association of automobile owners is removed;
• The member who represents a towing association is required to be experienced with consensual tows; and
• The member who represents towing carriers but not a towing association is changed to a member who represents nonconsensual towing carriers.

For the 2021-22 state fiscal year, $20,029 is appropriated to the public utilities commission to implement the act.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)