Substitute House Bill No. 5287
          Substitute House Bill No. 5287

              PUBLIC ACT NO. 97-279


AN   ACT   CONCERNING  THE  IMPOUNDMENT  OF  MOTOR
VEHICLES USED TO PATRONIZE PROSTITUTES.


    Be it enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of
Representatives in General Assembly convened:
    Section 1. (NEW)  (a)  Any  police officer who
arrests  a  person  for  a  violation  of  section
53a-83a of the  general  statutes,  as  amended by
section 2 of  this  act,  shall  cause  the  motor
vehicle such person  was  occupying at the time of
the alleged offense  to  be impounded for a period
of forty-eight hours after such arrest, until such
person is arraigned or until such motor vehicle is
released by order  of  the court, whichever occurs
first.
    (b)  The  owner  of  such  motor  vehicle  may
reclaim such motor vehicle after the expiration of
such forty-eight-hour period,  the  arraignment of
the arrested person  or  the  issuance  of a court
order releasing such  motor  vehicle,  as the case
may be, upon  payment  of  all  towing and storage
costs, except that  if  the  owner  of  such motor
vehicle is a  person, firm or corporation licensed
under  the provisions  of  section  14-15  of  the
general  statutes, such  owner  may  reclaim  such
motor vehicle at  any  time  upon  payment  of all
towing and storage costs.
    Sec.  2.  Section   53a-83a   of  the  general
statutes  is  repealed   and   the   following  is
substituted in lieu thereof:
    (a)  A  person  is  guilty  of  patronizing  a
prostitute from a  motor  vehicle  when  he, while
occupying a motor vehicle: (1) Pursuant to a prior
understanding, pays a  fee  to  another  person as
compensation for such  person  or  a  third person
having engaged in  sexual conduct with him; or (2)
pays or agrees  to  pay  a  fee  to another person
pursuant  to  an   understanding  that  in  return
therefor such person or a third person will engage
in sexual conduct  with  him;  or  (3) solicits or
requests  another  person   to  engage  in  sexual
conduct with him  in  return  for  a  fee;  or (4)
engages in sexual conduct for which a fee was paid
or agreed to be paid.
    (b)  Patronizing a  prostitute  from  a  motor
vehicle is a  class  A misdemeanor. [and any motor
vehicle used in  the  commission  of  the  offense
shall be subject  to  forfeiture  to  the state in
accordance  with  sections   54-36j   to   54-36l,
inclusive.]
    Sec. 3. Sections  54-36j to 54-36l, inclusive,
of the general statutes are repealed.

Approved June 26, 1997