North Carolina lawmakers are examining legislation that would protect motorists from predatory booting practices and towing.

Laura Budd introduced House Bill 1024 last month ( Nonconsensual booting and Towing Reform). The bill received bipartisan approval on Wednesday to be sent to the Appropriations Committee, Finance Committee, and House Rules Committee.

Rep. Budd said NC Newsline that the bill protects consumers, North Carolinians and small businesses engaged in interstate commerce and semis as well as towing and recovery companies.

The bill calls for a Towing and Recovery Commission to be established within the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.

The Towing and Recovery Commission will be responsible for setting the maximum fees that non-consensual towing firms can charge for booting and towing, storing, and handling commercial cargo.

The Commission will also be responsible for issuing permits to non-consensual towing firms. The permits would have to be renewed every year.

The bill also calls for the creation a website where vehicle owners can see the location of the vehicle that was towed. They can also view the hours of operation at the location, as well as the phone number of non-consensual towing businesses and the amount they must pay to retrieve their vehicle.

Other states have passed similar legislation in recent years to crackdown on predatory towers. These include Mississippi Florida and Tennessee.