SRC- JEC, BWC H.B. 1368 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research CenterH.B. 1368
77R14873 DWS-FBy: Callegari (Barrientos)
Intergovernmental Relations
5/8/2001
Committee Report (Amended)


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Under current law, a person wishing to register a vehicle for use during
emergencies by a nonprofit disaster relief organization is required to
provide a statement by the county sheriff that the vehicle has not been
used for any purpose other than emergencies.  The sheriff is not required
to inspect the vehicle or investigate how the vehicle is used.  H.B. 1368
removes the requirement to obtain a statement from the sheriff to register
a vehicle for use by a nonprofit disaster relief organization and adds a
provision requiring the owner of the vehicle to provide a written statement
that the vehicle has been used only for emergencies.  H.B. 1368 also makes
provisions for registration of a fleet of vehicles rather than requiring
every vehicle in a fleet to be registered separately; and authorizes any
vehicle owner to register a vehicle for a period longer than 12 months. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Department of
Transportation in SECTION 1 (Section 502.0022, Transportation Code) of this
bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Chapter 502A, Transportation Code, by adding Section
502.0022, as follows: 

Sec. 502.0022.  CONSOLIDATED REGISTRATION OF FLEET VEHICLES.  (a) Requires
the Texas Department of Transportation (department) to develop and
implement a system of registration so that an owner of a fleet of motor
vehicles may consolidate the registration of the motor vehicles in the
fleet as an alternative to the separate registration of each motor vehicle
in the fleet.   

(b) Requires a system of consolidated registration under this section to
allow the owner of a fleet of motor vehicles to register an entire fleet in
the county of the owner's residence or principal place of business, or
those vehicles in a fleet that are operated most regularly in the same
county by registering the vehicles in that county. 

  (c) Requires the department by rule to define "fleet" for purposes of
this section. 

  (d) Authorizes the department to adopt rules to administer this section.

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 502.158(c), Transportation Code, to authorize an
owner of a vehicle, rather than a passenger car or light truck that has not
been previously registered in this or another state and is of the current
or preceding model year, to pay vehicle registration fees for a designated
period of 12, 24, or 36 months. 

SECTION 3.  Amends Section 502.203(b), Transportation Code, to require an
application for registration under this section to include: 

 _a statement by the owner of the vehicle that the vehicle is used
exclusively for  emergencies and has not been used for any other purpose;
and  

 _a statement signed by an officer of the nonprofit disaster relief
organization, rather than by the sheriff of the county in which the vehicle
is registered, that the vehicle has not been used for any purpose other
than emergencies and qualifies for registration under this section. 

SECTION 4.  (a) Provides that application of the change in law made by this
Act to Section 502.203, Transportation Code, is prospective. 

 (b) Effective date: September 1, 2001.