Bill
HB 1897
Arkansas bill tightens private towing rules and penalties to curb predatory practices, improve owner authorization, and due-process protections for enforcement.
Note up front: the materials you provided include text from more than one distinct bill (an Arkansas “Arkansas Towing and Recovery Reform and Efficiency Act of 2025” package and an Illinois “Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program” package), plus a separate title line about a “Northwest Regional Alliance” that does not match either text. Below I summarize the two primary legislative texts contained in the packet and then highlight procedural/timing items and who is affected. Please verify against the official enrolled/printed bill for final legal language.
Purpose
- Reform regulation and enforcement of the towing industry in Arkansas to prevent predatory towing and excessive pricing, improve consumer complaint handling, and revise the Arkansas Towing and Recovery Board’s composition and duties.
Key provisions and changes
- Tightens requirements for nonconsensual (private-property) towing: clearer written authorization requirements from property owners/agents (identification, statement of control, vehicle description, tow firm contact and signature).
- Prohibits schemes to self-authorize towing (e.g., using affiliated agents, forged documents, hidden referral arrangements).
- Requires towing firms to perform a “good faith search” for ownership/lien information when records are not readily available.
- Clarifies abandoned-vehicle rules at repair shops: vehicle considered abandoned after 45 days unclaimed or unpaid.
- Prohibits towing firms from paying referral fees or other compensation to the property owner/agent who requests a tow.
- Adds procedural due process for disciplinary actions: several amendments require written notice and a hearing before the Arkansas Towing and Recovery Board under the Arkansas Administrative Procedure Act prior to certain penalties or license actions.
- Modifies penalties and classification levels for certain offenses (amendments change some felony-level penalties to misdemeanors and adjust other classifications).
- Changes board membership/qualification language to reduce active market participants’ influence (intended to improve impartial enforcement).
- Declares an emergency (emergency clause) to make parts effective immediately.
Numeric/details from amendments
- Abandoned/recovery timelines: 45 days for repair-business situations.
- Fee/percentage adjustments in amendments (example: a substitution raising a percentage from 20% to 35% in one provision).
- Some criminal classification changes (e.g., “Class D felony” changed to “Class A misdemeanor”; another “Class A” changed to “Class B” in amendment text).
Impacted parties
- Towing and storage firms, property owners and managers, vehicle owners, repair businesses, Arkansas Towing and Recovery Board, and state/local law enforcement.
Purpose
- Create a state grant program to fund fuel-station infrastructure upgrades needed to dispense higher blends of ethanol (above E-10) and biodiesel (above B-10).
Key provisions
- Establishes Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Fund (special state fund) administered by Illinois Department of Agriculture.
- Grants to eligible recipients: retail petroleum marketers, petroleum terminal operators, and related private companies (explicitly excludes public bodies).
- Eligible costs: tank modifications, tanks, piping, dispensers, and other equipment as defined by the Department.
- Funding mechanics: transfers from the Underground Storage Tank Fund — $3,000,000 per calendar quarter from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2027 (subject to a minimum balance threshold in the source fund).
- Two amendment drafts show different triggers: do not transfer if Underground Storage Tank Fund balance ≤ $75,000,000 (one version) or ≤ $50,000,000 (alternate).
- Award caps and cost-share: no recipient may receive more than $1,000,000 total; applicants must cover at least 50% of project costs; per-site cap in one draft: $100,000.
- Task Force: Department will establish a Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Task Force with industry and grower representatives to advise program design and evaluate renewal beyond June 30, 2027.
- Effective immediately upon becoming law.
Impacted parties
- Petroleum marketers, terminal operators, equipment vendors, corn and soybean grower interests, and fuel consumers accessing higher-blend fuels.
If you want, I can:
- Produce a side‑by‑side comparison of the Arkansas and Illinois texts;
- Extract the exact changes to specific statutory sections (by citation);
- Verify final enacted language and effective dates for a chosen jurisdiction.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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