By Gutierrez H.B. No. 1047
75R3994 DWS-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to fines for violations of motor vehicle financial
1-3 responsibility requirements.
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 by amending Subsections (b) and (c) and adding Subsection (e) to
1-7 read as follows:
1-8 (b) Except as provided by Subsections (c) and (d), an
1-9 offense under this section is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of
1-10 not less than $350 [$175] or more than $500 [$350].
1-11 (c) If a person has been previously convicted of an offense
1-12 under this section, an offense under this section is a misdemeanor
1-13 punishable by a fine of not less than $500 [$350] or more than
1-14 $1,000.
1-15 (e) From the amount collected as fines under this section
1-16 the municipality or county may retain half and shall send half to
1-17 the state comptroller at the times and in the manner prescribed by
1-18 the comptroller.
1-19 SECTION 2. (a) The change in law made by this Act applies
1-20 only to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this
1-21 Act. For the purposes of this section, an offense is committed
1-22 before the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense
1-23 occurs before that date.
1-24 (b) An offense committed before the effective date of this
2-1 Act is governed by the law in effect when the offense was
2-2 committed, and the former law is continued in effect for that
2-3 purpose.
2-4 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.
2-5 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
2-6 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-7 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-8 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-9 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.