1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the registration of vehicles.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 502, Transportation Code, is
1-5 amended by adding Section 502.0022 to read as follows:
1-6 Sec. 502.0022. CONSOLIDATED REGISTRATION OF FLEET VEHICLES.
1-7 (a) The department shall develop and implement a system of
1-8 registration so that an owner of a fleet of motor vehicles may
1-9 consolidate the registration of the motor vehicles in the fleet as
1-10 an alternative to the separate registration of each motor vehicle
1-11 in the fleet.
1-12 (b) A system of consolidated registration under this section
1-13 must allow the owner of a fleet of motor vehicles to register:
1-14 (1) an entire fleet of motor vehicles in the county of
1-15 the owner's residence or principal place of business; or
1-16 (2) those vehicles in a fleet of vehicles that are
1-17 operated most regularly in the same county by registering the
1-18 vehicles in that county.
1-19 (c) The department by rule shall define "fleet" for purposes
1-20 of this section.
1-21 (d) The department may adopt rules to administer this
1-22 section.
1-23 SECTION 2. Section 502.158(c), Transportation Code, is
1-24 amended to read as follows:
2-1 (c) The department may designate a registration period of
2-2 less than 12 months. The registration fee for a registration
2-3 period of less than 12 months is computed at a rate of one-twelfth
2-4 the annual registration fee multiplied by the number of months in
2-5 the registration period. The department may not designate a
2-6 registration period of more than 12 months, but:
2-7 (1) with the consent of the department, an owner may
2-8 pay registration fees for a designated period of more than 12
2-9 months; and
2-10 (2) an owner of a vehicle [passenger car or light
2-11 truck that has not been previously registered in this or another
2-12 state and is of the current or preceding model year] may pay
2-13 registration fees for a designated period of 12, 24, or 36 months.
2-14 SECTION 3. Section 502.203(b), Transportation Code, is
2-15 amended to read as follows:
2-16 (b) An application for registration under this section must
2-17 include:
2-18 (1) a statement by the owner of the vehicle that the
2-19 vehicle is used exclusively for emergencies and has not been used
2-20 for any other purpose;
2-21 (2) a statement signed by an officer of the nonprofit
2-22 disaster relief organization [by the sheriff of the county in which
2-23 the vehicle is registered] that the vehicle has not been used for
2-24 any purpose other than emergencies and qualifies for registration
2-25 under this section; and
2-26 (3) a reasonable description of the vehicle and the
2-27 emergency equipment included in the vehicle.
3-1 SECTION 4. (a) The change in law made by this Act to Section
3-2 502.203, Transportation Code, applies only to an application for
3-3 vehicle registration under that section submitted on or after the
3-4 effective date of this Act. An application for registration under
3-5 that section submitted before the effective date of this Act is
3-6 governed by the law in effect on the date the application was
3-7 submitted, and the former law is continued in effect for that
3-8 purpose.
3-9 (b) This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
_______________________________ _______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 1368 was passed by the House on April
27, 2001, by a non-record vote; and that the House concurred in
Senate amendments to H.B. No. 1368 on May 21, 2001, by a non-record
vote.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 1368 was passed by the Senate, with
amendments, on May 17, 2001, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays
0, 1 present, not voting.
_______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: __________________________
Date
__________________________
Governor