1-1     By:  Patterson                                         S.B. No. 945

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 5, 1997; March 10, 1997, read

 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs;

 1-4     March 26, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 12,

 1-5     Nays 0; March 26, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to certain fees charged by vehicle storage facilities.

 1-9           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-10           SECTION 1.  Subdivision (7), Section 2, Vehicle Storage

1-11     Facility Act (Article 6687-9a, Revised Statutes), is amended to

1-12     read as follows:

1-13                 (7)  "Impoundment" ["Preservation"] means an action

1-14     taken by or at the direction of the owner or operator of a vehicle

1-15     storage facility that is necessary to preserve, protect, or service

1-16     a vehicle stored or parked at the facility.

1-17           SECTION 2.  Subsection (d), Section 14, Vehicle Storage

1-18     Facility Act (Article 6687-9a, Revised Statutes), is amended to

1-19     read as follows:

1-20           (d)  The operator of a vehicle storage facility may not

1-21     charge any additional fees that are similar to notification,

1-22     impoundment [preservation], or administrative fees.

1-23           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-24     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-25     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-26     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-27     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-28     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

1-29     passage, and it is so enacted.

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