BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 887

By: Geren

Transportation

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Currently, a county tax assessor-collector or the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) may refuse to register a motor vehicle if the owner of the vehicle is delinquent in the payment of a civil penalty imposed under the law relating to a photographic traffic signal enforcement system.   H.B. 887 seeks to protect the rights of motor vehicle owners by prohibiting a county tax assessor collector or TxDMV from refusing to register a motor vehicle alleged to have been involved in a violation detected by a red light camera.  

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

H.B. 887 reenacts and amends Section 707.017, Transportation Code, as amended by Chapters 266 (H.B. 2530), 542 (S.B. 1617), and 933 (H.B. 3097), Acts of the 81st Legislature, Regular Session, 2009, to prohibit a county assessor-collector or the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles from refusing, rather than authorizing those entities to refuse, to register a motor vehicle alleged to have been involved in a violation detected by a photographic traffic signal enforcement system if the owner of the motor vehicle is delinquent in the payment of a civil penalty imposed under the enforcement system law.  The bill removes a provision making the prohibition inapplicable to the registration of a motor vehicle under Certificate of Title Act provisions relating to the duty of a vehicle dealer on the sale of certain vehicles.  

H.B. 887 establishes that, to the extent of any conflict, the bill's provisions prevail over another act of the 82nd Legislature, Regular Session, 2011, relating to nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in enacted codes.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2011.