VEHICLE IMPOUNDMENT; MODIFY                                                        H.B. 4960 (H-1):

                                                                                                    SUMMARY OF BILL

                                                                                     REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE

House Bill 4960 (Substitute H-1 as reported without amendment)

Sponsor:  Representative Andrew Fink

House Committee: Transportation

Senate Committee: Transportation and Infrastructure

CONTENT

The bill would amend the Michigan Vehicle Code to do the following:

-- Require a police agency that authorized the removal of a vehicle to enter the vehicle into the Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN) as an impounded vehicle within 24 hours after ordering the vehicle's impoundment.

-- Require the police agency to deem the vehicle abandoned and enter the vehicle into LEIN as abandoned within 24 hours if the vehicle were not redeemed by the owner within seven days after its impoundment.

-- Require the towing agency or custodian of the impounded vehicle to provide certain notification to the police agency that authorized the removal of the vehicle concerning the vehicle's status as redeemed by the owner.

The bill would take effect 90 days after its enactment.

MCL 257.252d & 257.252e                                     Legislative Analyst:  Tyler P. VanHuyse

FISCAL IMPACT

The bill would result in a minimal fiscal impact on State and local law enforcement agencies, mainly as a result of the requirement that vehicles defined as abandoned be entered into LEIN within 24 hours of that designation. As noted above, under current law, this entry into LEIN is required only within seven days. Since there could be many vehicles that would lose abandoned status between two days and seven days, the bill likely would result in more required date entries than in the past. Law enforcement agencies could accomplish these additional tasks using their existing fiscal resources.

Date Completed:  5-17-22                                                     Fiscal Analyst: Bruce Baker

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.