By Dutton                                        H.B. No. 989

      75R3836 DWS-F                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to submission of proof of financial responsibility in

 1-3     connection with registration of a transferred motor vehicle.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 502.153(a), Transportation Code, is

 1-6     amended to read as follows:

 1-7           (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (i), the [The] owner of

 1-8     a motor vehicle, other than a trailer or semitrailer, for which

 1-9     evidence of financial responsibility is required by Section 601.051

1-10     or a person who represents the owner for purposes of registering a

1-11     motor vehicle shall submit evidence of financial responsibility

1-12     with the application for registration under Section 502.151.  A

1-13     county assessor-collector may not register the motor vehicle unless

1-14     the owner or the owner's representative submits the evidence of

1-15     financial responsibility.

1-16           SECTION 2.  Section 502.153, Transportation Code, is amended

1-17     by adding Subsection (i) to read as follows:

1-18           (i)  This section does not apply if the person is registering

1-19     the motor vehicle in connection with the transfer of title to the

1-20     motor vehicle.

1-21           SECTION 3.  The change in law made by this Act applies only

1-22     to  a registration occurring on or after the effective date of this

1-23     Act.  A  registration occurring before the effective date of this

1-24     Act is governed by the law in effect when the registration

 2-1     occurred, and the former law is continued in effect for that

 2-2     purpose.

 2-3           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-4     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-5     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-6     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-7     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

 2-8     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

 2-9     passage, and it is so enacted.