1-1     By:  Shields, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Truan)         H.B. No. 1743
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 11, 1999;
 1-3     May 12, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on Veteran
 1-4     Affairs and Military Installations; May 13, 1999, reported
 1-5     favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 3, Nays 0; May 13, 1999,
 1-6     sent to printer.)
 1-7                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-8                                   AN ACT
 1-9     relating to the registration and the transfer of motor vehicles
1-10     owned by certain persons on active duty in the armed forces of the
1-11     United States.
1-12           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-13           SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 502, Transportation Code,
1-14     is amended by adding Section 502.0025 to read as follows:
1-15           Sec. 502.0025.  EFFECT OF CERTAIN MILITARY SERVICE ON
1-16     REGISTRATION REQUIREMENT.  (a)  This section applies only to a
1-17     motor vehicle that is owned by a person who:
1-18                 (1)  is a resident of this state;
1-19                 (2)  is on active duty in the armed forces of the
1-20     United States;
1-21                 (3)  is stationed in or has been assigned to another
1-22     nation under military orders; and
1-23                 (4)  has registered the vehicle or been issued a
1-24     license for the vehicle under the applicable status of forces
1-25     agreement by:
1-26                       (A)  the appropriate branch of the armed forces
1-27     of the United States; or
1-28                       (B)  the nation in which the person is stationed
1-29     or to which the person has been assigned.
1-30           (b)  Unless the registration or license issued for a vehicle
1-31     described by Subsection (a) is suspended, canceled, or revoked by
1-32     this state as provided by law:
1-33                 (1)  Section 502.002(a) does not apply; and
1-34                 (2)  the registration or license issued by the armed
1-35     forces or host nation remains valid and the motor vehicle may be
1-36     operated in this state under that registration or license for a
1-37     period of not more than 90 days after the date on which the vehicle
1-38     returns to this state.
1-39           SECTION 2.  Subchapter C, Chapter 520, Transportation Code,
1-40     is amended by adding Section 520.0225 to read as follows:
1-41           Sec. 520.0225.  PERSONS ON ACTIVE DUTY IN ARMED FORCES OF
1-42     UNITED STATES.  (a)  This section applies only to a used motor
1-43     vehicle that is owned by a person who:
1-44                 (1)  is on active duty in the armed forces of the
1-45     United States;
1-46                 (2)  is stationed in or has been assigned to another
1-47     nation under military orders; and
1-48                 (3)  has registered the vehicle or been issued a
1-49     license for the vehicle under the applicable status of forces
1-50     agreement by:
1-51                       (A)  the appropriate branch of the armed forces
1-52     of the United States; or
1-53                       (B)  the nation in which the person is stationed
1-54     or to which the person has been assigned.
1-55           (b)  The requirement in Section 520.021 that a used vehicle
1-56     be registered under the law of this state does not apply to a
1-57     vehicle described by Subsection (a).  In lieu of delivering the
1-58     license receipt to the transferee of the vehicle, as required by
1-59     Section 520.022, the person selling, trading, or otherwise
1-60     transferring a used motor vehicle described by Subsection (a) shall
1-61     deliver to the transferee:
1-62                 (1)  a letter written on official letterhead by the
1-63     owner's unit commander attesting to the registration of the vehicle
1-64     under Subsection (a)(3); or
 2-1                 (2)  the registration receipt issued by the appropriate
 2-2     branch of the armed forces or host nation.
 2-3           (c)  A registration receipt issued by a host nation that is
 2-4     not written in the English language must be accompanied by:
 2-5                 (1)  a written translation of the registration receipt
 2-6     in English; and
 2-7                 (2)  an affidavit, in English and signed by the person
 2-8     translating the registration receipt, attesting to the person's
 2-9     ability to translate the registration receipt into English.
2-10           SECTION 3.  Section 520.031(a), Transportation Code, is
2-11     amended to read as follows:
2-12           (a)  Not later than the 20th working day after the date of
2-13     receiving the documents under Section 520.022 or 520.0225, the
2-14     transferee of the used motor vehicle shall file with the county
2-15     assessor-collector:
2-16                 (1)  the license receipt and the certificate of title
2-17     or other evidence of title; or
2-18                 (2)  if appropriate, a document described by Section
2-19     520.0225(b)(1) or (2) and the certificate of title or other
2-20     evidence of title.
2-21           SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-22           SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-23     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-24     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-25     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-26     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
2-27                                  * * * * *