By Truitt H.B. No. 3100
76R5553 DWS-F
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to eligibility for dismissal of a charge for an offense of
1-3 operating a vehicle with an expired registration or inspection
1-4 certificate.
1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-6 SECTION 1. Section 502.407(b), Transportation Code, is
1-7 amended to read as follows:
1-8 (b) A justice of the peace or municipal court judge having
1-9 jurisdiction of the offense may:
1-10 (1) dismiss a charge of driving with an expired motor
1-11 vehicle registration if:
1-12 (A) the offense occurs not later than the 60th
1-13 day after the date the registration expires; and
1-14 (B) the defendant:
1-15 (i) [(A)] remedies the defect not later
1-16 than the 10th working day after the date of the offense; and
1-17 (ii) [(B)] establishes that the fee
1-18 prescribed by Section 502.176 has been paid; and
1-19 (2) assess an administrative fee not to exceed $10
1-20 when the charge is dismissed.
1-21 SECTION 2. Section 548.605, Transportation Code, is amended
1-22 to read as follows:
1-23 Sec. 548.605. DISMISSAL OF CHARGE; ADMINISTRATIVE FEE. The
1-24 court may:
2-1 (1) dismiss a charge of driving with an expired
2-2 inspection certificate if:
2-3 (A) the offense occurs not later than the 60th
2-4 day after the date the inspection certificate expires; and
2-5 (B) the defendant remedies the defect within 10
2-6 working days; and
2-7 (2) assess an administrative fee not to exceed $10
2-8 when the charge of driving with an expired inspection certificate
2-9 has been remedied.
2-10 SECTION 3. (a) The change in law made by this Act applies
2-11 only to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this
2-12 Act. For the purposes of this section, an offense is committed
2-13 before the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense
2-14 occurs before that date.
2-15 (b) An offense committed before the effective date of this
2-16 Act is governed by the law in effect when the offense was
2-17 committed, and the former law is continued in effect for that
2-18 purpose.
2-19 SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-20 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the
2-21 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-22 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-23 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-24 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.