By West H.B. No. 258
75R2376 DLF-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the penalty for operating a motor vehicle in violation
1-3 of the Motor Vehicle Safety Responsibility Act.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 601.191, Transportation Code, is amended
1-6 to read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 601.191. OPERATION OF MOTOR VEHICLE IN VIOLATION OF
1-8 MOTOR VEHICLE LIABILITY INSURANCE REQUIREMENT; OFFENSE. (a) A
1-9 person commits an offense if the person operates a motor vehicle in
1-10 violation of Section 601.051.
1-11 (b) An [Except as provided by Subsections (c) and (d), an]
1-12 offense under this section is a Class B misdemeanor, with a minimum
1-13 term of confinement of six days [punishable by a fine of not less
1-14 than $175 or more than $350].
1-15 [(c) If a person has been previously convicted of an offense
1-16 under this section, an offense under this section is a misdemeanor
1-17 punishable by a fine of not less than $350 or more than $1,000.]
1-18 [(d) If the court determines that a person who has not been
1-19 previously convicted of an offense under this section is
1-20 economically unable to pay the fine, the court may reduce the fine
1-21 to less than $175.]
1-22 SECTION 2. (a) The change in law made by this Act applies
1-23 only to the punishment for an offense committed on or after the
1-24 effective date of this Act. For purposes of this section, an
2-1 offense is committed before the effective date of this Act if any
2-2 element of the offense occurs before the effective date.
2-3 (b) An offense committed before the effective date of this
2-4 Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed,
2-5 and the former law is continued in effect for this purpose.
2-6 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.
2-7 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
2-8 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-9 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-10 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-11 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.