Senator Cohen Leads Passage of Motor Vehicle Reform Bill Protecting Connecticut Drivers
HARTFORD — Senator Christine Cohen (D-Guilford), Senate Chair of the Transportation Committee, led passage Wednesday of Senate Bill 413, a comprehensive motor vehicle reform bill that strengthens consumer protections for the owners of towed vehicles, car buyers, and people with disabilities who rely on accessible parking.
The legislation makes various changes to Connecticut motor vehicle laws and among other policies, addresses three areas where drivers and residents have reported the system was not working for them: hidden fees in car dealership advertising, unfair towing practices, and widespread misuse of accessible parking placards.
Conveyance fees
The bill requires car dealers to include conveyance fees in advertised prices and to disclose those fees when negotiating a final sale price. Connecticut consumers will no longer be surprised by fees that appear only at the moment they sign a purchase agreement.
“Buying a car is already one of the biggest financial decisions a family makes,” Senator Cohen said. “Consumers shouldn’t be hit with hidden fees at the closing table, and this bill makes clear that Connecticut dealers must be transparent with their customers from the start.”
Towing
The bill creates a publicly accessible online portal where vehicle owners can locate their towed car within 48 hours, establishes a clear schedule of rates and charges for police-ordered and private-property trespass towing, and strengthens the consumer bill of rights that wrecker services must provide to vehicle owners. Senator Cohen worked closely with small towing businesses throughout the process to ensure that good actors in the industry were not burdened by reforms targeting bad ones.
“This bill strikes a careful balance that protects both drivers and small towing companies who do right by consumers,” Senator Cohen said. “No one should have to wonder where their car is or what they owe to get it back, and good actors in the towing industry should not be punished for the behavior of bad ones.”
Accessible parking
The bill redesigns the removable windshield placard so the expiration date is prominently visible from outside the vehicle, strengthens the Accessible Parking Advisory Council’s fraud prevention tools, and establishes an annual Accessible Parking Awareness Day to promote responsible use of accessible spaces statewide.
“I heard directly from constituents with disabilities about how frustrating it is to arrive at an accessible parking space and find it taken by someone who does not need it,” Senator Cohen said. “This bill takes that seriously. It gives us better tools to prevent fraud and abuse while making sure the people who truly depend on accessible parking can count on those spaces when they need them.”
Senate Bill 413 passed the Senate on a bipartisan, 35-1 vote and will now head to the House of Representatives for consideration.
