By Culberson                                          H.B. No. 2996
         76R8903 DWS-F                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to actions that may be taken in relation to improperly
 1-3     parked vehicles.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 684, Transportation Code,
 1-6     is amended by adding Section 684.016 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 684.016.  ADDITIONAL PROHIBITIONS.  (a)  A person may
 1-8     not remove an unauthorized vehicle from a parking facility without
 1-9     the consent of the vehicle's owner or operator or attach to an
1-10     unauthorized vehicle located on a parking facility  a device
1-11     intended to prevent the operation of the vehicle, unless the person
1-12     is a governmental entity or is acting as authorized by a contract
1-13     with a governmental entity.
1-14           (b)  A person may not attach to an unauthorized vehicle
1-15     located on a parking facility a device intended to prevent the
1-16     operation of the vehicle, unless a sign is installed on the parking
1-17     facility that states that a device intended to prevent the
1-18     operation of a vehicle may be attached to an unauthorized vehicle
1-19     located on the facility.  The sign must be installed in each
1-20     location required for a sign under Section 684.031(a), 684.034, or
1-21     684.035, as appropriate.  The sign may be installed on the same
1-22     pole, post, wall, or barrier as a sign under Subchapter C.
1-23           SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
1-24     to removal of a vehicle or attachment of a device to a vehicle on
 2-1     or after the effective date of this Act.
 2-2           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
 2-3           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
 2-4     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 2-5     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 2-6     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-7     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.