BILL ANALYSIS
By: Harless
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Currently the definition of an “Automotive Wrecking and Salvage yard” in part states “…..an outdoor place where a person stores three or more wrecked vehicles for the purpose of dismantling or wrecking the vehicles to remove parts for sale…..”
Since many of the vehicles that are dismantled and salvaged are not damaged from being in an accident, they do not qualify as “wrecked” vehicles, making it difficult for the rules and procedures governing automotive wrecking and salvage yards to be enforced on the facilities that are dismantling vehicles that are not wrecked. Examples include flood damaged or hail damaged vehicles or vehicles that have had major components fail, but are being dismantled for the remaining parts.
By eliminating the word “wrecked” from the definition of an Automotive Wrecking and Salvage yard, any site that dismantles three or more vehicles per year will be governed by the appropriate laws to ensure safeguards over vehicle title processing and environmental issues.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
SECTION 1: Amends Section 396.001(1) of the Transportation Code, by removing “wrecked” from the definition of “Automotive wrecking and salvage yard”.
SECTION 2: Upon passage, the Act takes effect September 1, 2007
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2007.