By Gutierrez                                    H.B. No. 2530

      75R6351 DRH-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the fee for a late registration of a motor vehicle.

 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 502.158(f), Transportation Code, is

 1-5     amended to read as follows:

 1-6           (f)  An application for registration filed more than five

 1-7     days [one month] after the expiration of the preceding registration

 1-8     year must be accompanied by:

 1-9                 (1)  proof in a form prescribed by the department [a

1-10     statement] that the vehicle has not been operated on a public

1-11     highway at any time after the expiration of the preceding

1-12     registration year; or

1-13                 (2)  a delinquent fee under Section 502.176.

1-14           SECTION 2.  Section 502.176, Transportation Code, is amended

1-15     by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (c) to read as

1-16     follows:

1-17           (b)  A county assessor-collector may not register a vehicle

1-18     for which payment of the registration fee is delinquent unless the

1-19     owner:

1-20                 (1)  provides the proof described by Section 502.158(f)

1-21     that the vehicle has not been operated on a public highway; or

1-22                 (2)  pays an additional charge equal to the greater of:

1-23                       (A)  20 percent of the prescribed fee; or

1-24                       (B)  $5 for each full or partial calendar month

 2-1     that elapses after the registration expires beginning with the

 2-2     second month after the expiration.

 2-3           (c)  A fee collected under Subsection (b)(2) shall be:

 2-4                 (1)  collected and reported in the manner provided by

 2-5     Sections 502.102 and 502.105 if the county has implemented the

 2-6     department's automated registration and title system; or

 2-7                 (2)  sent to the comptroller for deposit to the credit

 2-8     of the state highway fund if the county has not implemented the

 2-9     department's automated registration and title system.

2-10           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and

2-11     applies only to a registration that expires on or after that date.

2-12     A registration that expired before the effective date of this Act

2-13     is subject to the law that existed at the time the registration

2-14     expired, and the former law is continued in effect for this

2-15     purpose.

2-16           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-17     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-18     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-19     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-20     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.