The Connecticut Senate passed legislation Wednesday to further regulate the state's towing industry, building on reforms enacted last year that came after reporting by The Connecticut Mirror and ProPublica exposed gaps in consumer protections.

Senate Bill 413 would create an online portal allowing drivers to track towed vehicles and require towing companies to consider a vehicle's age before initiating sale proceedings. Under the bill, towing companies could only sell vehicles after 30 days if they are at least 15 years old.

Last year's legislation raised the minimum time before a car could be sold from 15 days to 30 days and required towing companies to accept credit cards, allow owners to retrieve belongings from towed vehicles, and provide warnings before towing cars from private property over minor issues. The changes addressed a practice in which towing firms could start the sale process for vehicles deemed worth less than $1,500.

What the Right Is Saying

Industry representatives supported the legislation, saying it balances consumer protections with business realities. Sal Sena, president of the Towing & Recovery Professionals of Connecticut, said he thinks the portal will "make it easier for everyone" and that the state is "on the right track."

Committee ranking member Sen. Tony Hwang, R-Fairfield, urged colleagues to support the measure, calling last year's reforms "remarkable landmark legislation." He said the new bill builds on that work effectively.

The bill also addresses industry concerns about towing fees by requiring rate adjustments every three years based on government measures of inflation. Towing companies had complained that allowed fee levels were too low to sustain operations.

What the Left Is Saying

Consumer advocates praised parts of the bill while raising concerns about accessibility. Raphael Podolsky, who served on the working group created by last year's reform law, said the portal will mostly benefit towing companies and state regulators rather than vehicle owners.

"First of all, everybody doesn't have a computer, and second of all, everybody who does have a computer would not know to go to a DMV portal, and third, not everybody has internet access, even if they have a computer," Podolsky said. He argued the system may not reach some of the most vulnerable vehicle owners who lack digital access or awareness.

Transportation Committee Co-Chair Sen. Christine Cohen, D-Guilford, acknowledged that problems persist despite last year's reforms. "There are bad actors," she said. "We have read about it in the press. It's what prompted us to take action and really kind of take a look at our towing statutes on the whole."

What the Numbers Show

The Senate voted 35-1 to pass Senate Bill 413, indicating broad bipartisan support for the legislation.

Under current law, vehicles can be sold after 30 days if deemed worth less than $1,500. The new bill restricts quick sales to vehicles at least 15 years old regardless of value.

Last year's reform law extended the minimum time before sale from 15 days to 30 days and required towing companies to accept credit cards for payment.

A joint analysis by CT Mirror and ProPublica found that many towing companies valued vehicles below their estimated retail values, allowing quicker sales. The new age-based threshold is designed to address this practice.

The bill creates an advisory council to continue studying towing policies and monitor the portal's effectiveness once implemented.

The Bottom Line

The House of Representatives is expected to vote on Senate Bill 413 in the coming days. If passed, the state DMV would be tasked with building and maintaining the online tracking portal.

DMV Commissioner Tony Guerrera said the portal will improve agency transparency and help consumers locate their vehicles more quickly. "You have to be accountable and take things head-on," Guerrera said. "This portal that we will get running as soon as possible will allow someone to go online and — even without all their information — find where their car is."

The legislation represents the second wave of towing reforms in Connecticut following investigative reporting that documented how residents with outdated addresses or vehicles registered to previous owners sometimes lost cars before learning they had been towed.