BILL ANALYSIS



S.B. 1420
By: Truan (Cuellar, Henry)
04-26-95
Committee Report (Unamended)


BACKGROUND


Currently, Texas law authorizes the Department of Transportation to
issue temporary, 72-hour and 144-hour temporary registration
permits to domestic and Canadian motor carriers without proof of
insurance.  Mexican carriers do not have access to this temporary
registration.  Under the terms of the North American Free Trade
Agreement, regulatory policy must not discriminate between member
nations.

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.B. 1420 makes Mexico for certain temporary
registrations for commercial motor vehicles.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly
grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer,
department, agency or institution.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 707, Article 6675a-6d, V.T.C.S., as
follows:

     Sec. 1.  Authorizes the Department of Transportation to issue
     temporary permits which will be recognized in lieu of
     registration upon the highways of this state to provide for
     the movement of certain vehicles owned by residents of the
     United States, Canada, or Mexico, which are subject to
     registration by the State of Texas and which are not
     authorized to travel on the public roads of the state for lack
     of registration or reciprocity with a state of the United
     States, the state of United Mexican States, or the Canadian
     Province in which such vehicles are registered.
     
     Sec. 2-3.  Make conforming changes.
     
     Sec. 4. No change.
     
     Sec. 5.  Makes conforming changes.
     
     Sec. 6.  Requires the operator of a vehicle to present to the
     county tax assessor-collector or the Department of
     Transportation evidence of financial responsibility as would
     be required with applications for registration pursuant to
     Section 2a, Article 6675a-2a, V.T.C.S., before the issuance of
     the temporary registration permit.
     
     Sec. 7.  Created from existing Section 6.
     
     Sec. 8.  Provides that to the extent of any conflict between
     this Act and other laws or parts of laws the provisions of
     this Act control.
     
     SECTION 2.     Emergency clause.
           Effective date: upon passage.


SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE ACTION

Pursuant to a public notice posted on April 21, 1995, at 4:04 p.m.,
the House Committee on Transportation met in a public hearing on
Wednesday, April 26, 1995, at 2:00 p.m., or upon adjournment, in
Room E1.014 of the Capitol Extension and was called to order at
6:13 p.m. by the Chair, Representative Clyde Alexander.  The Chair
laid out S.B. 1420 and recognized Representative Henry Cuellar to
explain S.B. 1420.  There were no witnesses testifying in support
of, or in opposition to S.B. 1420.  Representative Edwards moved
that the Committee report S.B. 1420, without amendments, to the
full House with the recommendation that it do pass.  The motion
prevailed by the following vote:  Ayes (6), Nayes (0), Absent (3),
Present not voting (0).