By Goolsby H.B. No. 19
76R282 DRH-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to denial of the renewal of a driver's license for failure
1-3 to pay parking tickets.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Subtitle I, Title 7, Transportation Code, is
1-6 amended by adding Chapter 707 to read as follows:
1-7 CHAPTER 707. DENIAL OF RENEWAL OF LICENSE FOR FAILURE TO PAY
1-8 MUNICIPAL PARKING FINES
1-9 Sec. 707.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
1-10 (1) "Department" means the Department of Public
1-11 Safety.
1-12 (2) "Driver's license" has the meaning assigned by
1-13 Section 521.001.
1-14 Sec. 707.002. CONTRACT WITH DEPARTMENT. (a) A municipality
1-15 may contract with the department to provide information necessary
1-16 for the department to deny renewal of the driver's license of a
1-17 person who has an unpaid fine for a violation of an ordinance of
1-18 the municipality regulating the parking or stopping of a vehicle.
1-19 (b) A municipality may report an unpaid fine for a violation
1-20 of an ordinance of the municipality under this section to the
1-21 department only if:
1-22 (1) the fine is past due;
1-23 (2) the person failed to make a timely appearance in
1-24 court to challenge the imposition of the fine; and
2-1 (3) the person owes the municipality more than $100 in
2-2 the aggregate in past due fines, including the fine for which a
2-3 report is made, for violations of ordinances of the municipality
2-4 regulating the parking or stopping of a vehicle.
2-5 (c) A contract under this section must be made in accordance
2-6 with Chapter 791, Government Code. A contract under this section
2-7 is subject to the ability of the parties to provide or pay for the
2-8 services required under the contract.
2-9 Sec. 707.003. DENIAL OF RENEWAL OF LICENSE. If a contract
2-10 is made under this chapter:
2-11 (1) the department may, on the receipt of the
2-12 necessary information, deny the renewal of a driver's license in
2-13 the same manner as for a contract under Chapter 706; and
2-14 (2) the municipality shall perform its duties in the
2-15 same manner as for a contract under Chapter 706.
2-16 Sec. 707.004. WARNING; CITATION. If a municipality makes a
2-17 contract under this chapter, a citation for a violation of an
2-18 ordinance of the municipality regulating the parking or stopping of
2-19 a vehicle must include a warning as required by Section 706.003.
2-20 The warning must state in substance that if the person fails to pay
2-21 a fine associated with the violation, the person may be denied
2-22 renewal of the person's driver's license.
2-23 Sec. 707.005. NOTICE TO DEPARTMENT. The municipality shall
2-24 notify the department that there is no cause to continue to deny
2-25 renewal of a person's driver's license based on a violation of an
2-26 ordinance of the municipality regulating the parking or stopping of
2-27 a vehicle if:
3-1 (1) the person pays any fee required by Section
3-2 706.006; and
3-3 (2) an event stated under Section 706.005 that is
3-4 applicable to a violation of the ordinance occurs.
3-5 SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only
3-6 to the violation of a municipal ordinance regulating parking or the
3-7 stopping of a vehicle that occurs on or after the effective date of
3-8 this Act. For purposes of this section, a violation is committed
3-9 before the effective date of this Act if any element of the
3-10 violation occurs before that date.
3-11 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
3-12 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
3-13 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-14 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-15 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-16 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.