By: Solomons H.B. No. 148
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the prohibition of the manufacture, sale, or possession
of a counterfeit disabled parking placard; providing penalties.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 681, Transportation Code, is amended by
adding Section 681.0111 to read as follows:
Sec. 681.0111. MANUFACTURE, SALE, POSSESSION, OR USE OF
COUNTERFEIT PLACARD. (a) A person commits an offense if, without
the department's authorization, the person manufactures, sells, or
possesses a placard that is deceptively similar to a disabled
parking placard.
(b) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly
parks a vehicle displaying a counterfeit placard in a parking space
or area designated specifically for persons with disabilities.
(c) An offense under Subsection (a) is a Class A
misdemeanor. An offense under Subsection (b) is a Class C
misdemeanor.
(d) For purposes of this section, a placard is deceptively
similar to a disabled parking placard if the placard is not a
genuine disabled parking placard but a reasonable person would
presume that it is a genuine disabled parking placard.
SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only
to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act.
An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is
covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed, and the
former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For the purposes
of this section, an offense was committed before the effective date
of this Act if any element of the offense occurred before that date.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.