| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the status of the registration of a vehicle after a |
|
|
failure to establish financial responsibility. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. The heading to Subchapter H, Chapter 601, |
|
|
Transportation Code, is amended to read as follows: |
|
|
SUBCHAPTER H. FAILURE TO MAINTAIN EVIDENCE OF FINANCIAL |
|
|
RESPONSIBILITY; SUSPENSION OF DRIVER'S LICENSE [AND MOTOR VEHICLE |
|
|
REGISTRATION] |
|
|
SECTION 2. The heading to Section 601.231, Transportation |
|
|
Code, is amended to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 601.231. SUSPENSION OF DRIVER'S LICENSE [AND VEHICLE |
|
|
REGISTRATION]. |
|
|
SECTION 3. Section 601.231(a), Transportation Code, is |
|
|
amended to read as follows: |
|
|
(a) If a person is convicted of an offense under Section |
|
|
601.191 and a prior conviction of that person under that section has |
|
|
been reported to the department by a magistrate or the judge or |
|
|
clerk of a court, the department shall suspend the driver's license |
|
|
[and vehicle registrations] of the person unless the person files |
|
|
and maintains evidence of financial responsibility with the |
|
|
department until the second anniversary of the date of the |
|
|
subsequent conviction. |
|
|
SECTION 4. Section 601.232, Transportation Code, is amended |
|
|
to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 601.232. NOTICE OF SUSPENSION. (a) The department |
|
|
shall send in a timely manner a notice to each person whose driver's |
|
|
license is [and vehicle registrations are] suspended under Section |
|
|
601.231. |
|
|
(b) The notice must state that the person's driver's license |
|
|
is [and registration are] suspended and that the person may apply |
|
|
for reinstatement of the license [and vehicle registration] or |
|
|
issuance of a new license [and registration] as provided by |
|
|
Sections 601.162 and 601.376. |
|
|
SECTION 5. Section 601.233(a), Transportation Code, is |
|
|
amended to read as follows: |
|
|
(a) A citation for an offense under Section 601.191 issued |
|
|
as a result of Section 601.053 must include, in type larger than |
|
|
other type on the citation, the following statement: |
|
|
"A second or subsequent conviction of an offense under the Texas |
|
|
Motor Vehicle Safety Responsibility Act will result in the |
|
|
suspension of your driver's license [and motor vehicle |
|
|
registration] unless you file and maintain evidence of financial |
|
|
responsibility with the Department of Public Safety for two years |
|
|
from the date of conviction. The department may waive the |
|
|
requirement to file evidence of financial responsibility if you |
|
|
file satisfactory evidence with the department showing that at the |
|
|
time this citation was issued, the vehicle was covered by a motor |
|
|
vehicle liability insurance policy or that you were otherwise |
|
|
exempt from the requirements to provide evidence of financial |
|
|
responsibility." |
|
|
SECTION 6. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
|
|
to a vehicle registration suspended for an offense committed on or |
|
|
after the effective date of this Act. A vehicle registration |
|
|
suspended for an offense committed before the effective date of |
|
|
this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was |
|
|
committed, and the former law is continued in effect for that |
|
|
purpose. For purposes of this section, an offense was committed |
|
|
before the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense |
|
|
occurred before that date. |
|
|
SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |