1-1 By: Coleman (Senate Sponsor - Ellis) H.B. No. 996 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House April 24, 2001; 1-3 April 25, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on 1-4 Intergovernmental Relations; May 2, 2001, reported favorably by the 1-5 following vote: Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 2, 2001, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to the authority of a municipality to authorize the 1-9 removal of certain motor vehicles from public roadways in the 1-10 municipality to aid in the enforcement of parking ordinances of the 1-11 municipality. 1-12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-13 SECTION 1. Section 684.054, Transportation Code, is amended 1-14 to read as follows: 1-15 Sec. 684.054. AUTHORITY FOR REMOVAL OF VEHICLE FROM PUBLIC 1-16 ROADWAY. (a) Under an ordinance of a municipality regulating the 1-17 parking of vehicles in the municipality, to aid in the enforcement 1-18 of the ordinance, an employee designated by the municipality may be 1-19 authorized to: 1-20 (1) immobilize a vehicle parked in the municipality; 1-21 and 1-22 (2) remove an immobilized vehicle from a public 1-23 roadway in the municipality. 1-24 (b) A parking facility owner or towing company may not 1-25 remove a vehicle from a public roadway except under: 1-26 (1) this chapter or a municipal ordinance that 1-27 complies with Section 684.101; or 1-28 (2) the direction of a peace officer or the owner or 1-29 operator of the vehicle. 1-30 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 1-31 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 1-32 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this 1-33 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 1-34 Act takes effect September 1, 2001. 1-35 * * * * *