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.