BWH C.S.H.B. 1532 75(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


COUNTY AFFAIRS
C.S.H.B. 1532
By: Woolley
4-2-97
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND 

Large counties are plagued by outstanding fines, fees, and taxes.  County
tax assessor-collectors are required by law to register the motor vehicles
of residents and have no ability to refuse to register the vehicles of
persons who owe the county money.  Refusal to register a motor vehicle can
be an effective collection tool.  Municipalities have the ability to
provide for the refusal to register a motor vehicle or the denial of a
driver's license of a person who has not paid tickets to the municipality. 

PURPOSE

This legislation provides counties with a tool to collect past due fines,
fees, and taxes by allowing a county assessor-collector or the Texas
Department of Transportation to refuse to register a motor vehicle upon
receiving information that the owner owes the county a past due fine, fee,
or tax. 

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.  Adds Section 502.185, Transportation Code, to allow a county
assessor-collector or the Texas Department of Transportation to refuse to
register a motor vehicle upon receiving information through an interlocal
county-department contract that the owner has an outstanding fine, fee, or
tax imposed by the county; requires notification of payment, appeal, or
dismissal of the fine, fee, or tax; prohibits refusal of registration upon
such notification.  Allows a county to recoup costs of the contract by
charging an additional fee to the delinquent taxpayers. 

SECTION 2.Effective date: September 1, 1997.

SECTION 3.Emergency clause.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

The C.S.H.B. 1532 makes the following changes to the original:
 1) Deletes SECTIONS 2-5 of the original bill, and renumbers SECTIONS 6
and 7 accordingly; and 
 2) Removes the population brackets from the original whereby the bill
applies to all counties in Texas.