By Thompson H.B. No. 2535 76R8145 DRH-F A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the dismissal of certain offenses involving the failure 1-3 to maintain financial responsibility for a motor vehicle. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Section 601.193, Transportation Code, is amended 1-6 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 601.193. DEFENSE: FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN EFFECT 1-8 AT TIME OF ALLEGED OFFENSE. (a) It is a defense to prosecution 1-9 under Section 601.191 or 601.195 that the person charged produces 1-10 to the court one of the documents listed in Section 601.053(a) that 1-11 was valid at the time that the offense is alleged to have occurred. 1-12 (b) After the court verifies a document produced under 1-13 Subsection (a), the court shall dismiss the charge. 1-14 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999, and 1-15 applies only to an offense that occurs on or after that date. An 1-16 offense that occurs before that date is covered by the law in 1-17 effect at the time the offense was committed, and the former law is 1-18 continued in effect for that purpose. For purposes of this 1-19 section, an offense is committed before the effective date of this 1-20 Act if any element of the offense occurs before that date. 1-21 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 1-22 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-23 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-24 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-1 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.