H. B. 2047
(By Delegate Facemyer)
[Introduced January 13, 1999; referred to the
Committee on Roads and Transportation then Government
Organization.]
A BILL to amend article six, chapter twenty-four of the code of
West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as
amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated section
twelve, relating to local emergency telephone systems;
providing for the rotation or alternating of requests for or
dispatching of emergency towing services under certain
situations.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That article six, chapter twenty-four of the code of West
Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be
amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section
twelve, to read as follows:
ARTICLE 6. LOCAL EMERGENCY TELEPHONE SYSTEM.
§24-6-12. Dispatching of towing services for emergency towing of
vehicles; exceptions.
All public safety units and public agencies that have an
emergency telephone system or an enhanced emergency telephone
system shall rotate or alternate requests or dispatches of towing
services, for purposes of having a motor vehicle towed in an
emergency situation, among all available towing services
registered as a common carrier with the public service commission
pursuant to the provisions of section two-a, article two,
chapter twenty-four-a of this code to tow vehicles in an area
where the vehicle to be towed is located. As to any instance
that requires special equipment not provided by all towing
services available, requests or dispatches shall be rotated only
among those towing services that have the special equipment
required to tow the vehicle.
The requirements of this section do not apply to public
safety units and public agencies that have only one available
towing service for the area served by the emergency telephone
system or enhanced emergency telephone system.
The public service commission shall propose rules applicable
to all public safety units and public agencies to ensure
uniformity and fairness in the implementation of the requirements
of this section and to ensure prompt provision of towing services in emergency situations pursuant to this section.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require public safety
units and public agencies with an emergency telephone system to
alternate or rotate requests or dispatches of tow truck services
for emergency towing of vehicles among all available towing
services. The bill provides for exceptions to this requirement.
This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and
underscoring have been omitted.