78R3343 JTS-D

By:  Uresti                                                       H.B. No. 1966



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to increasing the civil and criminal penalties for certain 
violations committed by a towing company or a parking facility 
owner.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Section 684.084(c), Transportation Code, is 
amended to read as follows:
	(c)  A towing company or parking facility owner who 
intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly violates this chapter is 
liable to the owner or operator of the vehicle that is the subject 
of the violation for $500 [$300] plus three times the amount of fees 
assessed in the vehicle's removal, towing, or storage.
	SECTION 2.  Section 684.085, Transportation Code, is amended 
to read as follows:
	Sec. 684.085.  VIOLATION OF CHAPTER; FINE.  A violation of 
this chapter is punishable by a fine of not less than $500 [$200] or 
more than $1,000 [$500].
	SECTION 3.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to 
a violation that occurs on or after the effective date of this Act.  
A violation that occurs before the effective date of this Act is 
covered by the law in effect when the violation occurred, and the 
former law is continued in effect for that purpose.  For purposes of 
this section, a violation occurred before the effective date of 
this Act if any element of the violation occurred before that date.
	SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.