76R13162 WP-D                           
         By Tillery                                             H.B. No. 707
         Substitute the following for H.B. No. 707:
         By Turner of Coleman                               C.S.H.B. No. 707
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to dismissal of an inspection certificate violation.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 548.605, Transportation Code, is amended
 1-5     to read as follows:
 1-6           Sec. 548.605. DISMISSAL OF CHARGE;  ADMINISTRATIVE FEE. (a)
 1-7     In this section, "working day" means any day other than a Saturday,
 1-8     a Sunday, or a  holiday on which county offices are closed.
 1-9           (b)  The court shall [may]:
1-10                 (1)  dismiss a charge of driving with an expired
1-11     inspection certificate if:
1-12                       (A)  the defendant remedies the defect within 10
1-13     working days; and
1-14                       (B)  the inspection certificate has not been
1-15     expired for more than 60 days; and
1-16                 (2)  assess an administrative fee not to exceed $10
1-17     when the charge of driving with an expired inspection certificate
1-18     has been remedied.
1-19           (c)  Notwithstanding Subsection (b)(1)(B), the court may
1-20     dismiss a charge of driving with an expired inspection certificate
1-21     that has been expired for more than 60 days.
1-22           SECTION 2.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-23     The change in law made by this Act applies only to an offense
1-24     committed on or after the effective date of this Act.  For purposes
 2-1     of this section, an offense is committed before the effective date
 2-2     of this Act if any element of the offense occurs before that date.
 2-3           (b)  An offense committed before the effective date of this
 2-4     Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed,
 2-5     and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
 2-6           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
 2-7     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 2-8     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 2-9     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-10     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.