1-1     By:  Gutierrez (Senate Sponsor - Wentworth)           H.B. No. 2794
 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 14, 1999, reported favorably by the following vote:
 1-5     Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 14, 1999, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to the automation of the compulsory motor vehicle
 1-9     inspection system.
1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11           SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 548, Transportation Code,
1-12     is amended by adding Section 548.006 to read as follows:
1-13           Sec. 548.006.  AUTOMATION OF INSPECTION PROCEDURES.  (a)  The
1-14     department shall develop and administer procedures to automate the
1-15     compulsory motor vehicle inspection system under this chapter.
1-16           (b)  As a condition of certifying a location as an inspection
1-17     station under this chapter, the department may require the
1-18     applicant to participate in the automated inspection system.
1-19           (c)  The automated inspection system developed by the
1-20     department must include password security protection for each
1-21     inspector who accesses the system.  As a condition of certifying a
1-22     person as an inspector under this chapter, the department may
1-23     require the applicant to agree that:
1-24                 (1)  the person's automated password is equivalent, for
1-25     inspection purposes, to the person's written signature; and
1-26                 (2)  on certification and for all purposes, the person
1-27     is legally responsible for any inspection performed under the
1-28     person's automated password.
1-29           SECTION 2.  Subchapter H, Chapter 548, Transportation Code,
1-30     is amended by adding Section 548.508 to read as follows:
1-31           Sec. 548.508.  FEES FOR AUTOMATED INSPECTION SYSTEM.  (a)  On
1-32     implementation of the automated inspection system under Section
1-33     548.006:
1-34                 (1)  in addition to each fee authorized by this
1-35     subchapter, for each safety inspection certificate sold to an
1-36     inspection station participating in the automated system, the
1-37     department may impose an additional fee not to exceed $2; and
1-38                 (2)  in addition to the fees authorized by Sections
1-39     548.501, 548.503, and 548.504, for each inspection performed under
1-40     this chapter, an inspection station participating in the automated
1-41     system may impose an additional fee not to exceed $2.
1-42           (b)  The department may use fees collected under Subsection
1-43     (a)(1) only for the development and administration of the automated
1-44     inspection system under Section 548.006.
1-45           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-46           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-47     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-48     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-49     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-50     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
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