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).