H.B. No. 148




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.                           




______________________________              ______________________________
 
   President of the Senate                               Speaker of the House      

	I certify that H.B. No. 148 was passed by the House on March 
28, 2003, by a non-record vote.

                                                  ______________________________
                                                     Chief Clerk of the House   

	I certify that H.B. No. 148 was passed by the Senate on May 
27, 2003, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.

                                                  ______________________________
                                                     Secretary of the Senate    



APPROVED:  _____________________                                            
 
                   Date                                                      




 
          _____________________                                          
 
                 Governor