The Texas Independent Automotive Association opposes House Bill 4526, which relates to the disclosure of charges for motor vehicle repairs and provides for a civil penalty. TIAA believes the legislation fails to protect Texas automotive and collision repair facilities that encounter unknown labor charges associated with disassembly and assembly when troubleshooting vehicles.
Representative Michael Villarreal from District 121 in San Antonio filed House Bill 4526 March 13, 2009.
“While we appreciate and understand Rep. Villarreal’s effort to protect the consumer at an automotive repair facility, it’s not always possible for an automotive technician to predict what labor and disassembly will be required before troubleshooting in order to provide the required estimate to the vehicle owner,” said Lee Roberts, TIAA executive director. "This bill is really unnecessary as Texas provides due process to consumers who have complaints against any unethical business practices. Or it might be a smoke screen to regulate the automotive repair industry in Texas in lieu of not having passed shop licensing in prior legislative sessions."
(Note that TIAA supports House Bill 1543 that would limit the state of Texas' regulation of private sector jobs.)
The bill filed by Villarreal also provides for up-front estimates of any storage fees. Roberts said Texas Code already stipulates that repair facilities must be licensed storage facilities in order to charge for storage and does provide regulatory guidance on fees and notification. The information can be found in Occupations Code, Chapter 2303, Vehicle Storage Facilities. The bill also calls for estimates for Vehicle Towing, which is already covered by Texas Code.
TIAA stresses that Texas already protects consumers. Information about car repairs and consumer protection can be found at the Texas Attorney General Web Site.
To send your comments or suggestions regarding House Bill 4526 to Representative Villarreal, Click Here. To send your comments or suggestions to TIAA, Click Here.