74R7508 DWS-D
          By Finnell, et al.                                     H.B. No. 499
          Substitute the following for H.B. No. 499:
          By Seidlits                                        C.S.H.B. No. 499
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the rental of a motor vehicle to a state employee;
    1-3  providing a penalty.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Chapter 1, Title 20, Revised Statutes, is amended
    1-6  by adding Article 601j to read as follows:
    1-7        Art. 601j.  RENTAL OF MOTOR VEHICLE TO STATE EMPLOYEE
    1-8        Sec. 1.  DEFINITIONS.  In this article:
    1-9              (1)  "Car rental company" means a person in the
   1-10  business of renting motor vehicles for periods of 90 days or less.
   1-11              (2)  "State agency" includes an institution of higher
   1-12  education, as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code.
   1-13              (3)  "State employee" means an officer or employee of a
   1-14  state agency.
   1-15        Sec. 2.  STATE REGISTRATION OF RENTAL VEHICLE.  (a)  Except
   1-16  as provided by Subsection (b) of this section, a car rental company
   1-17  may not rent a motor vehicle to a state employee in this state for
   1-18  compensation to be paid by a state agency unless the vehicle is
   1-19  titled and registered in this state.
   1-20        (b)  A car rental company may rent to the state employee a
   1-21  motor vehicle not titled and registered in this state if:
   1-22              (1)  a motor vehicle titled and registered in this
   1-23  state is not reasonably available; and
   1-24              (2)  the car rental company provides the state employee
    2-1  at the time of the rental an affidavit stating the reason the car
    2-2  rental company was unable to rent a motor vehicle titled and
    2-3  registered in this state and sends the state agency that employs
    2-4  the state employee, by registered mail not later than the 10th day
    2-5  after the date of the rental contract, a separately executed copy
    2-6  of the affidavit.
    2-7        Sec. 3.  PENALTY.  A car rental company that violates Section
    2-8  2 of this article commits an offense.  An offense under this
    2-9  section is a Class C misdemeanor.
   2-10        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
   2-11        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-12  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-13  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-14  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-15  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.