S.B. No. 1064

AN ACT

relating to the extended registration of certain county fleet vehicles.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 502, Transportation Code, is amended by adding Section 502.0025 to read as follows:

Sec. 502.0025. EXTENDED REGISTRATION OF CERTAIN COUNTY FLEET VEHICLES. (a) In this section, "exempt county fleet" means a group of two or more nonapportioned motor vehicles, semitrailers, or trailers described by Section 502.453(a) that is owned by and used exclusively in the service of a county with a population of 3.3 million or more.

(b) Notwithstanding the annual registration requirements of Sections 502.044(c) and 502.453(a), the department shall develop and implement a system of registration to allow an owner of an exempt county fleet to register vehicles in the fleet for an extended registration period of not less than one year or more than eight years.

(c) A system of extended registration under this section must allow the owner of an exempt county fleet to:

(1) select the number of years for registration under this section;

(2) register the entire fleet in the county of the owner's principal place of business;

(3) register the motor vehicles in the fleet that are operated most regularly in the same county; or

(4) register the entire fleet directly with the department.

(d) A motor vehicle, semitrailer, or trailer registered under this section is subject to the inspection requirements of Chapter 548 as if the vehicle, semitrailer, or trailer were registered without an extended registration period.

(e) The department shall adopt rules to implement this section, including rules:

(1) regarding the suspension of an exempt county fleet's registration under this section if the owner of the exempt county fleet fails to comply with this section or rules adopted under this section; and

(2) establishing a method to enforce the inspection requirements of Chapter 548 for motor vehicles, semitrailers, and trailers registered under this section.

SECTION 2. Section 502.453, Transportation Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 502.453. GOVERNMENT-OWNED VEHICLES; PUBLIC SCHOOL BUSES; FIRE-FIGHTING VEHICLES; COUNTY MARINE LAW ENFORCEMENT VEHICLES; U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY VEHICLES. (a) The owner of a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer may [annually] apply for registration under Section 502.0025 or 502.451 and is exempt from the payment of a registration fee under this chapter if the vehicle is:

(1) owned by and used exclusively in the service of:

(A) the United States;

(B) this state;

(C) a county, municipality, or school district in this state; or

(D) an open-enrollment charter school;

(2) owned by a commercial transportation company and used exclusively to provide public school transportation services to a school district under Section 34.008, Education Code;

(3) designed and used exclusively for fire fighting;

(4) owned by a volunteer fire department and used exclusively in the conduct of department business;

(5) privately owned and used by a volunteer exclusively in county marine law enforcement activities, including rescue operations, under the direction of the sheriff's department;

(6) used by law enforcement under an alias for covert criminal investigations; or

(7) owned by units of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary headquartered in Texas and used exclusively for conduct of United States Coast Guard or Coast Guard Auxiliary business and operations, including search and rescue, emergency communications, and disaster operations.

(b) An application for registration under this section or Section 502.0025 must be made by a person having the authority to certify that the vehicle meets the exemption requirements prescribed by Subsection (a). An application for registration under this section of a fire-fighting vehicle described by Subsection (a)(3) must include a reasonable description of the vehicle and of any fire-fighting equipment mounted on the vehicle. An application for registration under this section of a vehicle described by Subsection (a)(5) must include a statement signed by a person having the authority to act for a sheriff's department that the vehicle is used exclusively in marine law enforcement activities under the direction of the sheriff's department. An application for registration under this section of a vehicle described by Subsection (a)(7) must include a statement signed by a person having authority to act for the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary that the vehicle or trailer is used exclusively in fulfillment of an authorized mission of the United States Coast Guard or Coast Guard Auxiliary, including search and rescue, patrol, emergency communications, or disaster operations.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.

______________________________ ______________________________

President of the Senate Speaker of the House

I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1064 passed the Senate on April 19, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.

______________________________ Secretary of the Senate

I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1064 passed the House on May 5, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 146, Nays 0, one present not voting.

______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House

Approved:

______________________________

Date

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Governor