H. B. 2783
(By Delegate R.M. Thompson)
[Introduced March 7, 2001; referred to the
Committee on Political Subdivisions then the Judiciary.]
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; requiring certified tow operator.
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.
(a) 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 common carriers 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.
(b) At least one owner or employee per towing company must be
certified as a tow operator by a national certification association
approved by the public service commission. Companies currently
operating which do not meet this requirement shall comply with the
requirement by the first day of July, two thousand two.
(c) 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.
(d) 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, and to require each company to have a certified tow
operator. The bill provides for exceptions to these requirements.
This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and
underscoring have been omitted.