1-1 By: Rangel, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Shapiro) H.B. No. 1041 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House April 26, 1999; 1-3 April 27, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on State 1-4 Affairs; May 12, 1999, reported favorably by the following vote: 1-5 Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 12, 1999, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to the registration period for a truck-tractor or 1-9 commercial motor vehicle transporting seasonal agricultural 1-10 products; providing a penalty. 1-11 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-12 SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 502, Transportation Code, 1-13 is amended by adding Section 502.1585 to read as follows: 1-14 Sec. 502.1585. REGISTRATION PERIOD FOR TRUCK-TRACTOR OR 1-15 COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE TRANSPORTING SEASONAL AGRICULTURAL 1-16 PRODUCTS. (a) The department shall provide for a monthly 1-17 registration period for a truck-tractor or a commercial motor 1-18 vehicle that: 1-19 (1) is used exclusively to transport a seasonal 1-20 agricultural product; and 1-21 (2) would otherwise be registered for a vehicle 1-22 registration year. 1-23 (b) The department shall adopt forms for registration under 1-24 this section. An applicant must indicate the number of months 1-25 registration is applied for. 1-26 (c) The department shall design, prescribe, and furnish a 1-27 registration receipt and registration insignia that are valid until 1-28 the expiration of the designated registration period. 1-29 (d) The registration fee for a registration under this 1-30 section is computed at a rate of one-twelfth the annual 1-31 registration fee under Section 502.162 or 502.167, as applicable, 1-32 multiplied by the number of months in the registration period 1-33 specified in the application for the registration. 1-34 (e) A person issued a registration under this section 1-35 commits an offense if the person, during the registration period 1-36 for the truck-tractor or commercial motor vehicle, uses the 1-37 truck-tractor or commercial motor vehicle for a purpose other than 1-38 to transport a seasonal agricultural product. 1-39 (f) A truck-tractor or commercial motor vehicle may not be 1-40 registered under this section for a registration period that is 1-41 less than one month or longer than six months. 1-42 (g) For purposes of this section, "to transport a seasonal 1-43 agricultural product" includes any transportation activity 1-44 necessary for the production, harvest, or delivery of an 1-45 agricultural product that is produced seasonally. 1-46 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 1-47 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 1-48 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-49 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-50 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-51 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 1-52 * * * * *