SRC-ARR S.B. 518 76(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 518
By: Cain
Agriculture
3/17/1999
As Filed


DIGEST 

Currently, Texas law allows certain farm vehicles and trailers to qualify
for a reduced vehicle/trailer registration fee. Current statute specifies
that any vehicle or trailer which is registered under this reduced fee may
be used only by the owner of the vehicle or trailer, to transport items
related to the owner's farm or ranch operation. Many farmers and ranchers
unknowingly break the law by borrowing a friend's farm truck or trailer.
S.B. 518 would remove requirements that only the owner of a farm-registered
vehicle or trailer may use the vehicle or trailer. 
  
PURPOSE

As proposed, S.B. 518 regulates the registration of certain farm vehicles
and trailers. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 502.163(a), Transportation Code, to provide that
the registration fee for a commercial motor vehicle as a farm vehicle is 50
percent of the applicable fee under Section 502.162 if the vehicle will be
used, rather than the vehicle's owner will use the vehicle, for commercial
purposes only to transport agricultural products, rather than the person's
own dairy or farm products,  to market or another place for sale or
processing, use, or consumption, rather than the vehicle's owner will use
the vehicle.  Deletes text regarding the owner's farm or ranch.  

SECTION 2. Amends Section 502.276(c), Transportation Code, to authorize an
owner who obtains a distinguishing license plate under Subsection (b) to
operate temporarily on the highways a farm trailer or farm semitrailer with
a gross weight of more than 4,000 pounds but not more than 34,000 pounds
that is used exclusively to transport seasonally harvested agricultural
products or livestock from the place of production to the place of
processing, market, or storage or to transport farm supplies or equipment
from the place of loading to the farm to be temporarily operated on the
highways if the farm trailer or farm semitrailer bears a distinguishing
license plate obtained under Subsection (b). Makes conforming changes. 

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 4. Emergency clause.