s_tra_2016a_2016-04-21t12:15:32z1 Hearing Summary

Date: 04/21/2016

12:18 PM -- HB16-1056



Senator Todd, co-prime sponsor, presented House Bill 16-1056. The reengrossed bill broadens the records search employed by the Department of Revenue (DOR) to locate owners and lienholders of abandoned motor vehicles. Under current law, only Colorado records are searched in order to locate the owner or lienholder of an abandoned vehicle. Under the bill, the DOR must perform a national records search using a qualified entity that has a national database and that can retrieve records based both on the vehicle's VIN (vehicle identification number) and registration number (license plate). The qualified entity must also be able to provide appropriate owner and lienholder contact information. The DOR may charge tow operators a fee for the national search not to exceed the lesser of $5 or DOR's direct and indirect costs.



The bill increases the notification deadline, from three to five days, in which tow operators must determine whether there is an owner or lienholder registered with the DOR and send notice to those parties, and clarifies that the time spent by the DOR conducting the national records search does not count against the tow operator's 10-day deadline to contact the motor vehicle's owner or lienholder.



12:20 PM -- Greg Fulton, representing the Colorado Motor Carriers Association, testified in support of the bill.

12:23 PM



The committee adjourned.