By Solomons H.B. No. 344
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to registration and insurance requirements for certain
1-3 vehicles.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 502.274(a), Transportation Code, is
1-6 amended to read as follows:
1-7 (a) The department shall issue specially designed license
1-8 plates for passenger cars, motorcycles, and light trucks that are
1-9 at least 25 years old. The license plates must include the words
1-10 "Classic Auto," "Classic Motorcycle," or "Classic Truck," as
1-11 appropriate.
1-12 SECTION 2. Section 502.275, Transportation Code, is amended
1-13 to read as follows:
1-14 Sec. 502.275. CERTAIN EXHIBITION [ANTIQUE] VEHICLES;
1-15 OFFENSE. (a) The department shall issue specially designed
1-16 license plates for a passenger car, truck, [or] motorcycle, or
1-17 former military vehicle that:
1-18 (1) is at least 25 years old, if the vehicle is a
1-19 passenger car, truck, or motorcycle;
1-20 (2) is a collector's item;
1-21 (3) is used exclusively for exhibitions, club
1-22 activities, parades, and other functions of public interest, and is
1-23 not used for regular transportation; and
1-24 (4) does not carry advertising.
2-1 (b) Special license plates issued under Subsection (a) [this
2-2 section] must include the words "Antique Auto," "Antique Truck,"
2-3 [or] "Antique Motorcycle," or "Military Vehicle," as appropriate.
2-4 (c) In lieu of issuing plates under Subsection (a), the
2-5 department may approve for use license plates presented by the
2-6 owner that were issued by this state in the same year as the model
2-7 year of a vehicle described by Subsection (a). The department
2-8 shall approve for use on a passenger car license plates that were
2-9 issued for a passenger car or for a truck and shall approve for use
2-10 on a truck license plates that were issued for a truck or for a
2-11 passenger car. If the department approves license plates under
2-12 this subsection [section], the department shall issue a symbol for
2-13 attachment to one of the license plates, as determined by the
2-14 department, showing the year in which the vehicle was registered
2-15 under this section.
2-16 (d) License plates issued under Subsection (a) or approved
2-17 under Subsection (c) [this section] are valid for a maximum period
2-18 of five years.
2-19 (e) The department shall issue license plates under
2-20 Subsection (a) or approve license plates under Subsection (c) [this
2-21 section] and shall issue a registration receipt to a person who:
2-22 (1) files a sworn written application with the county
2-23 assessor-collector of the county in which the person resides that:
2-24 (A) is on a form provided by the department;
2-25 (B) if the vehicle is a passenger car, truck, or
2-26 motorcycle, contains the make, body style, motor number, and age of
2-27 the vehicle;
3-1 (C) states[, and] any other information required
3-2 by the department; and
3-3 (D) [(C)] states that the vehicle and the use of
3-4 the vehicle comply with Subsection (a); and
3-5 (2) pays a fee of:
3-6 (A) $10 for each year or portion of a year
3-7 remaining in the five-year registration period, if the vehicle was
3-8 manufactured in 1921 or a later year; or
3-9 (B) $8 for each year or portion of a year
3-10 remaining in the five-year registration period, if the vehicle was
3-11 manufactured before 1921.
3-12 (f) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the
3-13 department may exempt a former military vehicle from the
3-14 requirement to display license plates or any symbol, tab, or other
3-15 device indicating registration of the vehicle if the department
3-16 determines that the exemption is necessary to maintain the
3-17 vehicle's accurate military design or markings.
3-18 (g) A vehicle registered under this section is exempt from
3-19 the registration fee otherwise prescribed by this chapter.
3-20 (h) [(g)] Registration under this section is valid without
3-21 renewal for the period for which the vehicle was registered if the
3-22 vehicle is owned by the same person.
3-23 (i) [(h)] A county assessor-collector may not renew the
3-24 registration of a vehicle under this section until the registered
3-25 owner surrenders to the assessor-collector any [the] license plates
3-26 or symbol and the registration receipt issued for the vehicle for
3-27 the previous period.
4-1 (j) [(i)] If a vehicle registered under this section is
4-2 transferred to another owner or is junked, is destroyed, or
4-3 otherwise ceases to exist, the registration receipt and any license
4-4 plates or symbol are immediately void and the license plates or
4-5 symbol issued under this section shall be sent immediately to the
4-6 department.
4-7 (k) [(j)] An owner of a vehicle registered under this
4-8 section who violates this section commits an offense. An offense
4-9 under this section is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not
4-10 less than $5 or more than $200.
4-11 (l) Notwithstanding any other section of this code, a
4-12 vehicle issued plates under Subsection (a) shall be required to
4-13 display only one license plate, which is to be attached to the rear
4-14 of the vehicle.
4-15 (m) In this section, "former military vehicle" means a
4-16 vehicle, including a trailer, regardless of the vehicle's size,
4-17 weight, or year of manufacture, that:
4-18 (1) was manufactured for use in any country's military
4-19 forces; and
4-20 (2) is maintained to accurately represent its military
4-21 design and markings.
4-22 SECTION 3. Subchapter F, Chapter 502, Transportation Code,
4-23 is amended by adding Section 502.293 to read as follows:
4-24 Sec. 502.293. COUNTY JUDGES. (a) The department shall
4-25 design and provide for the issuance of special license plates for
4-26 passenger cars and light trucks that are owned by persons who are
4-27 county judges of this state.
5-1 (b) License plates issued to county judges under this
5-2 section shall bear the words "County Judge."
5-3 (c) The department shall issue license plates under this
5-4 section to a person who:
5-5 (1) applies to the county tax collector in the county
5-6 of the person's residence on a form prescribed by the department;
5-7 (2) pays the fee prescribed by Subsection (d); and
5-8 (3) submits with the application proof that the person
5-9 is a county judge of this state.
5-10 (d) The fee for registration under this section and issuance
5-11 of the special license plates is the fee otherwise prescribed by
5-12 this chapter for the vehicle.
5-13 (e) Registration under this section is valid for one year
5-14 and expires in the same manner as do regular motor vehicle
5-15 registrations, except as provided by Subsection (f).
5-16 (f) Registration under this section expires when the owner
5-17 of the vehicle for which the special plates were issued ceases to
5-18 be a county judge. The judge shall return the special license
5-19 plates to the department.
5-20 (g) If the owner of a vehicle for which plates are issued
5-21 under this section disposes of the vehicle during a registration
5-22 year, the person shall return the special plates to the department,
5-23 and at that time may apply for issuance of those plates to another
5-24 vehicle.
5-25 (h) If license plates issued under this section are lost,
5-26 stolen, or mutilated, the owner of the vehicle for which the plates
5-27 were issued may obtain replacement plates from the department by
6-1 paying a replacement fee of $5.
6-2 (i) In this section, "county judge" means the judge of the
6-3 county court established by Section 15, Article V, Texas
6-4 Constitution.
6-5 SECTION 4. Subchapter A, Chapter 5, Insurance Code, is
6-6 amended by adding Article 5.01-3 to read as follows:
6-7 Art. 5.01-3. FORMER MILITARY VEHICLES. (a) A rating plan
6-8 that includes a classification applicable to antique, private
6-9 passenger vehicles maintained primarily for use in exhibitions,
6-10 club activities, parades, and other functions of public interest
6-11 and occasionally used for other purposes must include in the
6-12 classification former military vehicles maintained for those uses.
6-13 (b) In this article, "former military vehicle" has the
6-14 meaning assigned by Section 502.275, Transportation Code.
6-15 SECTION 5. (a) In addition to the substantive changes in
6-16 law made by this Act, this Act conforms the Transportation Code to
6-17 changes in law made by Section 1, Chapter 443, Acts of the 74th
6-18 Legislature, Regular Session, 1995.
6-19 (b) To the extent of any conflict, this Act prevails over
6-20 another Act of the 75th Legislature, Regular Session, 1997,
6-21 relating to nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in enacted
6-22 codes.
6-23 SECTION 6. The changes in law made by this Act to Section
6-24 502.275, Transportation Code, apply only to a vehicle registration
6-25 period beginning on or after the effective date of this Act.
6-26 SECTION 7. The importance of this legislation and the
6-27 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
7-1 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
7-2 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
7-3 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
7-4 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
7-5 passage, and it is so enacted.