1-1     By:  Pickett, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Shapleigh)     H.B. No. 2004
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 4, 1999;
 1-3     May 5, 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 authorizing the Texas Department of Transportation to
 1-9     lease additional equipment to counties for the automated motor
1-10     vehicle registration and title system.
1-11           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-12           SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 520, Transportation Code,
1-13     is amended by adding Section 520.002 to read as follows:
1-14           Sec. 520.002.  LEASE OF ADDITIONAL COMPUTER EQUIPMENT.  (a)
1-15     This section applies only to the lease of equipment to a county for
1-16     the operation of the automated registration and title system in
1-17     addition to the equipment provided by the department at no cost to
1-18     the county under a formula prescribed by the department.
1-19           (b)  On the request of the tax assessor-collector of a
1-20     county, the department may enter into an agreement with the
1-21     commissioners court of that county under which the department
1-22     leases additional equipment to the county for the use of the tax
1-23     assessor-collector in operating the automated registration and
1-24     title system in that county.
1-25           (c)  A county may install equipment leased under this section
1-26     at offices of the county or of an agent of the county.
1-27           (d)  Equipment leased under this section:
1-28                 (1)  remains the property of the department; and
1-29                 (2)  must be used primarily for the automated
1-30     registration and title system.
1-31           (e)  Under the agreement, the department shall charge the
1-32     county an amount not less than the amount of the cost to the
1-33     department to provide the additional equipment and any related
1-34     services under the lease.  All money collected under the lease
1-35     shall be deposited to the credit of the state highway fund.
1-36           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-37     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-38     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-39     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-40     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
1-41     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
1-42     passage, and it is so enacted.
1-43                                  * * * * *