SRC-JBJ S.B. 1568 76(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 1568
76R8145 DRH-FBy: West
State Affairs
4/16/1999
As Filed


DIGEST 

Currently, a person may be charged with failure to show proof of motor
vehicle insurance.  The Transportation Code provides a defense to the
failure if the person produces the necessary documentation; courts
routinely dismiss the charge upon presentation of the proof.
Nevertheless, the code does not specify to whom a person must produce the
documented proof.  S.B. 1568 would require a person charged with failure to
produce proof of vehicle insurance to show a court proof of insurance, in
order to claim a defense from prosecution; and would require the court to
dismiss the charge upon presented verification. 

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.B. 1568 requires a person charged with failure to produce
proof of vehicle insurance to show a court a proof of insurance, and
requires the court to dismiss the charge upon verification. 

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 601.193, Transportation Code, to provide a
defense to prosecution under Sections 601.191 or 601.195, if the person
produces to the court one of the documents listed in Section 601.053(a).
Requires the court to verify a document produced under Subsection (a) and,
subsequently, to dismiss the charge. 

SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1999.
  Makes application of this Act prospective.

SECTION 3.Emergency clause.