By: Carona  S.B. No. 368
         (In the Senate - Filed December 15, 2008; February 17, 2009,
  read first time and referred to Committee on Transportation and
  Homeland Security; March 20, 2009, reported adversely, with
  favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 9,
  Nays 0; March 20, 2009, sent to printer.)
 
  COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 368 By:  Carona
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the denial, suspension, or revocation of a motor
  vehicle inspection station certificate or an inspector
  certificate.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 548.405, Transportation Code, is amended
  by adding Subsections (a-1), (a-2), (a-3), and (a-4) and amending
  Subsection (b) to read as follows:
         (a-1)  The department shall deny a person's application for
  an inspection station certificate or revoke an inspection station
  certificate if the applicant, the certificate holder, or the owner
  of the inspection station has been convicted of a felony under the
  laws of this state, another state, or the United States during the
  seven years preceding the date the application was filed or the date
  the certificate is revoked.
         (a-2)  The department shall deny a person's application for
  an inspector certificate or revoke an inspector certificate if the
  applicant or certificate holder has been convicted of a felony
  under the laws of this state, another state, or the United States
  during the seven years preceding the date the application was filed
  or the date the certificate is revoked.
         (a-3)  A felony conviction may not be grounds for a denial or
  revocation under Subsection (a-1) or (a-2) unless the offense
  involved fraud, a deceptive trade practice, a misrepresentation, a
  deceptive business practice, extortion, bribery, a breach of a
  fiduciary duty, counterfeiting, or the falsification of a
  government document.
         (a-4)  Beginning September 1, 2009, the Dallas County
  Sheriff's Office shall track and monitor the number of citations
  issued in this state to operators of motor vehicles on which a
  counterfeit or fraudulent inspection certificate is displayed. Not
  later than July 1, 2015, the Dallas County Sheriff's Office shall
  submit a report to the department on the total number of such
  citations issued between September 1, 2009, and June 1, 2015. If
  the department determines that the number of reported citations
  does not indicate a decrease in the frequency of fraudulent
  inspections, not later than July 1, 2015, the department shall
  issue an order stating that determination. If the department
  issues such an order, this subsection and Subsections (a), (a-1),
  (a-2), (a-3), and (b) expire September 1, 2015.
         (b)  For purposes of Subsections (a)(7), (a-1), and (a-2) 
  [Subsection (a)(7)], a person is convicted of an offense if a court
  enters against the person an adjudication of the person's guilt,
  including an order of probation or deferred adjudication.
         SECTION 2.  (a)  Effective September 1, 2015, Subsection
  (b), Section 548.405, Transportation Code, is reenacted to read as
  follows:
         (b)  For purposes of Subsection (a)(7), a person is convicted
  of an offense if a court enters against the person an adjudication
  of the person's guilt, including an order of probation or deferred
  adjudication.
         (b)  Subsection (a) of this section takes effect only if the
  Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas issues an order
  under Subsection (a-4), Section 548.405, Transportation Code, as
  added by this Act. If the Department of Public Safety of the State
  of Texas does not issue an order under Subsection (a-4), Section
  548.405, Transportation Code, as added by this Act, Subsection (a)
  of this section has no effect.
         SECTION 3.  The changes in law made by this Act to Section
  548.405, Transportation Code, that relate to an applicant for an
  inspection station certificate or an inspector certificate, apply
  only to an applicant who files an application on or after the
  effective date of this Act. An applicant for an inspection station
  certificate or an inspector certificate who filed an application
  before the effective date of this Act is covered by the law in
  effect on the date the application was filed and the former law is
  continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 4.  Except as otherwise provided by this Act, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2009.
 
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