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House Bill 2305 |
House Author: Rodriguez, Eddie |
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Effective: See below |
Senate Sponsor: Watson |
House Bill 2305 amends the Transportation Code to establish a registration-based system of enforcing motor vehicle inspection requirements. The bill requires the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) and the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to enter into an agreement regarding the timely submission by DPS of inspection compliance information to TxDMV. The bill requires DPS to maintain an electronic database to which inspection stations are required to electronically submit, after completion of an inspection, the vehicle identification number of the inspected vehicle, an indication of whether the vehicle passed the inspections, and any additional information required by rule by DPS for the type of vehicle inspected. DPS must also require an inspection station to issue a vehicle inspection report to a vehicle owner or operator indicating whether the vehicle has passed the safety and, if applicable, required emissions inspection.
Before a vehicle may be registered, TxDMV or a county assessor-collector registering the vehicle must verify that the vehicle passed the required inspections, as indicated in the DPS inspection database. However, if the database information is not available, the vehicle owner may present a vehicle inspection report issued for the vehicle. The bill requires TxDMV or the county assessor-collector to collect at the time of registration the portion of the inspection fee required to be remitted to the state and to remit the fee to the comptroller of public accounts.
House Bill 2305 removes, revises, or repeals, as applicable, references in the Code of Criminal Procedure, Education Code, Government Code, Health and Safety Code, Occupations Code, and Transportation Code to the provision, display, and disposition of inspection certificates or inspection verification forms, as appropriate, and certain related enforcement provisions. The bill also removes certain references to state inspection stickers and revises, updates, and provides provisions to reflect the bill's changes relating to vehicle inspection reports and a registration-based system of enforcement.
House Bill 2305 requires DPS rules relating to the general one-year inspection period to provide that a vehicle owner may obtain an inspection not earlier than 90 days before the vehicle's registration expiration date and that a used motor vehicle sold by a dealer must be inspected in the 180 days before the date of sale. The bill subjects a motor vehicle, semitrailer, or trailer registered with an extended registration for commercial vehicles to the amended inspection requirements provided by the bill as if the vehicle, semitrailer, or trailer were registered without extended registration. TxDMV and DPS by rule must establish a method to enforce the amended inspection requirements for these vehicles, semitrailers, and trailers.
House Bill 2305 prohibits an inspection station or inspector from issuing a passing vehicle inspection report for a vehicle equipped with a compressed natural gas container unless the owner demonstrates in accordance with DPS rules proof that certain conditions have been met. Effective September 1, 2013, the bill requires DPS, not later than January 1, 2014, to adopt rules relating to this required proof and establishes that these provisions apply only to a vehicle inspected on or after September 1, 2014.
House Bill 2305, effective September 1, 2013, requires TxDMV, DPS, and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, not later than March 1, 2014, to adopt rules necessary to implement the changes made by the bill and requires DPS, not later than March 1, 2014, to create the inspection database and to require inspection stations to submit the necessary information to the database. Except as otherwise provided, House Bill 2305 takes effect March 1, 2015.