1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the payment of certain motor vehicle registration fees

 1-3     for a period longer than 12 months.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 502.158, Transportation Code, is amended

 1-6     by amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (g) to read as

 1-7     follows:

 1-8           (c)  The department may designate a registration period of

 1-9     less than 12 months.  The registration fee for a registration

1-10     period of less than 12 months is computed at a rate of one-twelfth

1-11     the annual registration fee multiplied by the number of months in

1-12     the registration period.  The department may not designate a

1-13     registration period of more than 12 months, but:

1-14                 (1)  with the consent of the department, an owner may

1-15     pay registration fees for a designated period of more than 12

1-16     months; and

1-17                 (2)  an owner of a passenger car or light truck that

1-18     has not been previously registered in this or another state and is

1-19     of the current or preceding model year may pay registration fees

1-20     for a designated period of 12, 24, or 36 months.

1-21           (g)  The department shall issue the applicant for

1-22     registration who pays registration fees for a designated period of

1-23     24 or 36 months a registration receipt and registration insignia

1-24     that are valid until the expiration of the designated period.

 2-1           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.  The

 2-2     change in law made by this Act applies only to a person who applies

 2-3     to the Texas Department of Transportation for registration of a

 2-4     motor vehicle to which this Act applies on or after the effective

 2-5     date of this Act.  A person who applied for registration of a motor

 2-6     vehicle to which this Act applies before the effective date of this

 2-7     Act is covered by the law in effect when the application was made,

 2-8     and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.

 2-9           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-10     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-11     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-12     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-13     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

         _______________________________     _______________________________

             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House

               I certify that H.B. No. 1306 was passed by the House on April

         18, 1997, by a non-record vote.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Chief Clerk of the House

               I certify that H.B. No. 1306 was passed by the Senate on May

         15, 1997, by a viva-voce vote.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Secretary of the Senate

         APPROVED:  _____________________

                            Date

                    _____________________

                          Governor