SRC-SEW S.B. 1829 77(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 1829
By: Lindsay
State Affairs
4/30/2001
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Current law allows an individual to obtain a 36-month registration sticker
when purchasing a new vehicle.  However, this permissive program has never
been developed due to software limitations at the Texas Department of
Transportation (TxDOT).  These limitations have been addressed and should
be corrected by the summer of 2001. 

Also, currently the owner of a vehicle registered in Texas receives a
renewal notice every year.  The renewals are mailed back or brought back in
person to the county tax office.  Processing registration renewals costs
$4.28 in labor for window transactions and $2.31 in labor if the
registration is mailed in.   

As proposed, S.B. 1829 allows owners of vehicles older than three years to
participate in the multiyear program that is currently in place.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a
state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 502.158(c), Transportation Code, to prohibit the
Texas Department of Transportation (department) from designating a
registration period of more than 12 months, but authorizes the owner of a
vehicle (rather than an owner of 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 registration fees for a designated
period of 12, 24, or 36 months. 
 
SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 2001.  Provides that this Act
applies only to a registration period beginning on or after that date.