Florida bill withdrawn that would have required repair shops to obtain crash reports | Repairer Driven News

Published 9 hours ago• 2 minute read

A Florida bill that would have required collision repair shops to obtain crash reports from customers before fixing their vehicle has been withdrawn.

The bill, SB 92, previously passed the Senate Committee on Commerce and the Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government in March.

Following a reference review, it was sent back to the Appropriations Committee, where it was indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration May 3.

Sen. Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota) refiled SB 92 on Dec. 10 from the 2023 session.

The bill uses the same title, “Lilly Glaubach Act,” as SB 194, which was filed by Gruters in 2023 but was not successfully passed. Both bills are in honor of Lily Glaubach, 13, who died following a hit-and-run crash.

It later emerged that the driver convicted of killing her, David Chang, took his car to a repair center immediately after striking the girl, telling employees that a fallen tree damaged the vehicle.

The bill required repair shops to request a written crash report after writing an estimate to repair a vehicle involved in a collision that resulted in damage estimated at $2,500 or more.

Had the bill moved forward, and a customer did not provide a crash report, the shop would have been required to transmit a copy of the repair estimate to a database maintained by the Department of Law Enforcement within three business days after finalizing the estimate.

Repair shops also would have faced having their registration revoked by the state if found in violation of the law, had it passed.

Florida Auto Body Association (FABA) Executive Director Ementi Coary previously said most collision bills, even for minor fender benders, often cost more than $2,500. He said the bill would have prevented consumers from paying out of pocket to circumvent increased insurance premiums.

FABA also sent a letter to legislators opposing SB 92 and its companion, HB 807, which never received a vote in any committee and was also withdrawn on May 3.