Honorable Terry Canales, Chair, House Committee on Transportation
FROM:
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB2195 by Noble (Relating to wrong, fictitious, altered, or obscured license plates; increasing a criminal penalty.), As Introduced
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would increase the penalty for displaying on a motor vehicle, a license plate that has a coating, covering, protective substance, or other material that alters or obscures the letters or numbers of the license plate or the color of the plate. The bill would increase this offense to a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $300. The penalty would be increased to a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $600 in cases with a previous conviction and to a Class B misdemeanor in cases with two or more previous convictions. The bill also adds required license plates to the list of required inspection items for registered vehicles and equipment subject to inspection. It is assumed that any fiscal impact and any impact on state correctional populations or on the demand for state correctional resources would not be significant.
Local Government Impact
It is assumed that any fiscal impact to units of local government associated with enforcement, prosecution, supervision, or confinement would not be significant.
Source Agencies:
405 Department of Public Safety, 582 Commission on Environmental Quality, 608 Department of Motor Vehicles