By Woolley H.B. No. 1532 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to refusing to register a vehicle for a person who owes a 1-3 fine, fee, or tax to certain counties. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 502, Transportation Code, 1-6 is amended by adding Section 502.185 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 502.185. REFUSAL TO REGISTER VEHICLE IN CERTAIN 1-8 COUNTIES. (a) A county assessor-collector or the department may 1-9 refuse to register a motor vehicle if the assessor-collector or the 1-10 department receives information that the owner of the vehicle owes 1-11 the county money for a fine, fee, or tax that is past due. 1-12 (b) A county may contract with the department to provide 1-13 information to the department necessary to make a determination 1-14 under Subsection (a). 1-15 (c) A county that has a contract under Subsection (b) shall 1-16 notify the department regarding a person for whom the county 1-17 assessor-collector or the department has refused to register a 1-18 motor vehicle on: 1-19 (1) the person's payment or other means of discharge 1-20 of the past due fine, fee, or tax; or 1-21 (2) perfection of an appeal of the case contesting 1-22 payment of the fine, fee, or tax. 1-23 (d) After notice is received under Subsection (c), the 1-24 county assessor-collector or the department may not refuse to 2-1 register the motor vehicle under Subsection (a). 2-2 (e) A contract under Subsection (b) must be entered into in 2-3 accordance with Chapter 791, Government Code, and is subject to the 2-4 ability of the parties to provide or pay for the services required 2-5 under the contract. 2-6 (f) A county that has a contract under Subsection (b) may 2-7 impose an additional fee to a person paying a fine, fee, or tax to 2-8 the county after it is past due. The additional fee may be used 2-9 only to reimburse the department for its expenses for providing 2-10 services under the contract. 2-11 (g) In this section: 2-12 (1) a fine, fee, or tax is considered past due if it 2-13 is unpaid 90 or more days after the date it is due; and 2-14 (2) registration of a motor vehicle includes renewal 2-15 of the registration of the vehicle. 2-16 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. 2-17 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-18 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-19 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-20 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-21 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.