An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in trade and commerce, providing for the offense of unlawful towing and towing storage facility practices; and imposing penalties.
SB 779 creates new criminal offenses for improper towing practices in Pennsylvania, directly affecting tow truck operators and towing storage facilities. It requires operators to maintain public business addresses, display contact information on vehicles, post all fees clearly, and provide written notices to vehicle owners at accident scenes. The bill prohibits forcing repairs as a condition of towing, refusing to release vehicles without valid reasons, and charging fees during unreasonable access denials. Violations carry fines up to $5,000 or up to two years in prison for repeat serious offenses, with additional penalties including vehicle impoundment for third offenses. The law takes effect 60 days after passage.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
May 2025
Committee Review
Jul 2026
Senate Passage
Jul 2026
House Passage
Jul 2026
Signed into Law
Jul 2026
Introduced May 27, 2025
Signed Jul 20, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons
What changed between versions
Printer's No. PN1820
→
Printer's No. PN1862
·
4 edits
MODERATE
This bill update strengthens penalties for unlawful towing practices by increasing fines and elevating certain violations from summary offenses to misdemeanors. It also clarifies the definition of 'tow' to explicitly include recovery services where fees are charged, ensuring broader coverage of towing-related activities.
Scope change
The scope of enforcement was expanded by reclassifying violations of subsections (b) and (c) from summary offenses to third-degree misdemeanors, allowing for higher fines and potential jail time.
ENFORCEMENT
Penalties for violations of subsections (b) and (c) were increased from summary offenses to third-degree misdemeanors, raising the maximum fine to $2,500 and adding a potential one-year imprisonment term.
REQUIREMENT
The fine for a second or subsequent violation of subsection (a) was increased from $1,000 to $1,500.
DEFINITION
The definition of 'tow' was expanded to explicitly include the recovery of a motor vehicle at an accident scene when a fee is charged, regardless of owner consent.
TECHNICAL
The effective date of the act was changed from 60 days to 150 days, providing a longer implementation period.
Floor votes · Senate Jun 26, 2025 · House Jul 12, 2026
How they voted
49–1
Passed
Total votes 50
Jun 26, 2025
D
Democratic23
100% Yea
R
Republican27
96% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
24
Key actions
9
Committee
9
Amendments
1
Jul 20, 2026
Signed into law
Approved by the Governor
upper
Jul 12, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate concurred in House amendments
upper
Jul 12, 2026
Upper · Passed
Re-reported on concurrence, as committed
upper
Jul 12, 2026
Committee
Referred to Rules & Executive Nominations
upper
Jul 12, 2026
Lower · Passed
Third consideration and final passage
lower
Jul 12, 2026
Lower · Passed
Re-reported as committed
lower
Jun 29, 2026
Committee
Re-referred to Appropriations
lower
Jun 17, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported as amended
lower
Jun 30, 2025
Committee
Referred to Judiciary
lower
Jun 26, 2025
Upper · Passed
Third consideration and final passage
upper
Jun 26, 2025
Upper · Passed
Re-reported as committed
upper
Jun 25, 2025
Committee
Re-referred to Appropriations
upper
Jun 23, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported as committed
upper
May 27, 2025
Committee
Referred to Judiciary
upper
1 primary · 16 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Joe Picozzi
RRepublican
Co
Art Haywood
DDemocratic
Co
Chris Gebhard
RRepublican
Co
Dan Laughlin
RRepublican
Co
Devlin Robinson
RRepublican
Co
Elder Vogel
RRepublican
Co
Greg Rothman
RRepublican
Co
Jarrett Coleman
RRepublican
Co
Kristin Phillips-Hill
RRepublican
Co
Nick Miller
DDemocratic
Co
Pat Stefano
RRepublican
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