1-1 By: Turner of Coleman (Senate Sponsor - Lucio) H.B. No. 644
1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House May 5, 1993;
1-3 May 6, 1993, read first time and referred to Committee on Natural
1-4 Resources; May 21, 1993, reported favorably by the following vote:
1-5 Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 21, 1993, sent to printer.)
1-6 COMMITTEE VOTE
1-7 Yea Nay PNV Absent
1-8 Sims x
1-9 Truan x
1-10 Armbrister x
1-11 Barrientos x
1-12 Bivins x
1-13 Brown x
1-14 Carriker x
1-15 Lucio x
1-16 Montford x
1-17 Ratliff x
1-18 Shelley x
1-19 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-20 AN ACT
1-21 relating to the annual registration of certain farm trailers, farm
1-22 semitrailers, or forestry vehicles.
1-23 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-24 SECTION 1. Section 2(c), Chapter 88, General Laws, Acts of
1-25 the 41st Legislature, 2nd Called Session, 1929 (Article 6675a-2,
1-26 Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended to read as follows:
1-27 (c) Owners of farm trailers and farm semitrailers with a
1-28 gross weight exceeding four thousand (4,000) pounds but not
1-29 exceeding thirty-four thousand (34,000) <twenty thousand (20,000)>
1-30 pounds and used solely to transport their own seasonally harvested
1-31 agricultural products and livestock from the place of production to
1-32 the place of process, market or storage thereof, or farm supplies
1-33 from the place of loading to the farm, and owners of machinery used
1-34 solely for the purpose of drilling water wells or construction
1-35 machinery (not designed for the transportation of persons or
1-36 property on the public highways), may operate or move such vehicles
1-37 temporarily upon the highways without the payment of the regular
1-38 registration fees as prescribed by law, provided the owners of such
1-39 farm trailers and semitrailers and machinery secure for a fee of
1-40 five dollars ($5) for each year or portion thereof a distinguishing
1-41 license plate from the Texas <State Highway> Department of
1-42 Transportation through the County Tax Collector upon forms
1-43 prescribed and furnished by the department. Such vehicles shall be
1-44 exempt from the inspection requirements of Sections 140 and 141 of
1-45 the Uniform Act Regulating Traffic on Highways, as amended (Article
1-46 6701d, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes).
1-47 SECTION 2. Chapter 88, General Laws, Acts of the 41st
1-48 Legislature, 2nd Called Session, 1929 (Article 6675a-1 et seq.,
1-49 Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended by adding Section 5p to
1-50 read as follows:
1-51 Sec. 5p. (a) In this section, "forestry vehicle" means a
1-52 vehicle used exclusively for transporting untreated ties, stave
1-53 bolts, plywood bolts, pulpwood billets, wood chips, stumps,
1-54 sawdust, moss, bark, wood shavings, and property used in production
1-55 of those products.
1-56 (b) The department shall design and provide for the issuance
1-57 of special license plates for a forestry vehicle. The license
1-58 plates shall bear the words "forestry vehicle."
1-59 (c) The department shall issue license plates under this
1-60 section to a person who:
1-61 (1) applies to the department on a form prescribed by
1-62 the department;
1-63 (2) pays the fee prescribed under Subsection (d) of
1-64 this section; and
1-65 (3) submits with the application proof, acceptable to
1-66 the department, that the person is eligible to receive the license
1-67 plates.
1-68 (d) The department shall prescribe a fee for issuance of
2-1 special plates under this section at an amount necessary to recover
2-2 the cost of administering this section. This fee is in addition to
2-3 any other fee imposed by this Act. The department shall collect
2-4 any additional fee that a county imposes under this Act for
2-5 registration of the forestry vehicle and shall forward the fee to
2-6 the appropriate county for disposition as provided by this Act.
2-7 The department shall deposit fees collected under this section,
2-8 except fees forwarded to a county, in the state treasury to the
2-9 credit of the state highway fund.
2-10 (e) If license plates issued under this section are lost,
2-11 stolen, or mutilated, the owner of the forestry vehicle may obtain
2-12 replacement plates from the department by paying a replacement fee
2-13 prescribed by the department at an amount necessary to recover the
2-14 cost of providing the replacement plates.
2-15 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
2-16 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-17 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-18 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-19 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-20 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-21 passage, and it is so enacted.
2-22 * * * * *
2-23 Austin,
2-24 Texas
2-25 May 21, 1993
2-26 Hon. Bob Bullock
2-27 President of the Senate
2-28 Sir:
2-29 We, your Committee on Natural Resources to which was referred H.B.
2-30 No. 644, have had the same under consideration, and I am instructed
2-31 to report it back to the Senate with the recommendation that it do
2-32 pass and be printed.
2-33 Sims,
2-34 Chairman
2-35 * * * * *
2-36 WITNESSES
2-37 FOR AGAINST ON
2-38 ___________________________________________________________________
2-39 Name: Harlan Hal Huffman x
2-40 Representing: Texas Farm Bureau
2-41 City: McGregor
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2-43 Name: William Royce Hensarling x
2-44 Representing: H&H Farms
2-45 City: Madisonville
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