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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to optional fees for the registration of motor vehicles in |
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certain municipalities. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 502.006(d), Transportation Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(d) Sections [Section] 502.172 and 502.1721 do [does] not |
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apply to an all-terrain vehicle or a recreational off-highway |
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vehicle. |
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SECTION 2. Section 502.103, Transportation Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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Sec. 502.103. DISPOSITION OF OPTIONAL COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL |
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ROAD AND BRIDGE FEES [FEE]. Each Monday a county |
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assessor-collector shall apportion the collections for the |
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preceding week for a fee imposed under Section 502.172 or 502.1721 |
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by: |
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(1) crediting an amount equal to 97 percent of the |
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collections to the county road and bridge fund or to the municipal |
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treasurer, as appropriate; and |
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(2) sending to the department an amount equal to three |
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percent of the collections to defray the department's costs of |
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administering Section 502.172 or 502.1721. |
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SECTION 3. Section 502.167(j), Transportation Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(j) A person may register a semitrailer under this section |
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for a registration period of five consecutive years if the person: |
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(1) applies to the department for the five-year |
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registration; |
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(2) provides proof of the person's eligibility to |
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register the vehicle under this subsection as required by the |
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department; and |
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(3) pays a fee of $15, plus any applicable fee under |
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Section 502.172 or 502.1721, for each year included in the |
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registration period. |
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SECTION 4. Subchapter D, Chapter 502, Transportation Code, |
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is amended by adding Section 502.1721 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 502.1721. OPTIONAL MUNICIPAL ROAD AND BRIDGE FEE. (a) |
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This section applies only to a municipality that borders the United |
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Mexican States and has a population of 500,000 or more. |
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(b) Notwithstanding Section 502.003, the governing body of a |
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municipality by order may call an election on the issue of imposing |
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an additional fee for registering a vehicle at an address in the |
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municipality. The election must be held on a uniform election date |
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under Section 41.001, Election Code. If a majority of the votes |
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cast at the election approve the imposition of the fee, the fee is |
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imposed. A fee imposed under this section may take effect only on |
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January 1 of a year. The municipality must notify the county in |
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which it is located and the department not later than September 1 of |
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the year preceding the year in which the fee takes effect. |
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(c) A fee imposed under this section may not exceed the |
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amount of the fee imposed under Section 502.172 by the county in |
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which the vehicle is registered. |
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(d) An order under Subsection (b) calling an election must: |
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(1) list the amount of the additional fee to be |
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imposed; and |
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(2) list and generally describe the projects to be |
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funded with the additional fee. |
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(e) The ballot at an election held under this section must |
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be printed to permit voting for or against the proposition: |
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"Authorizing ________ (insert name of municipality) to impose an |
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additional registration fee in the amount of $________ (insert |
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amount of additional fee) for the purpose of financing ____________ |
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(describe the road or bridge projects to be funded)." |
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(f) A vehicle that may be registered under this chapter |
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without payment of a registration fee may be registered without |
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payment of the additional fee under this section. |
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(g) The county assessor-collector of a county containing a |
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municipality imposing a fee under this section shall collect the |
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additional fee for a vehicle when other fees imposed under this |
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chapter are collected. The county assessor-collector shall |
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distribute the fees collected under this section to the municipal |
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treasurer in the manner provided by Section 502.103. |
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(h) The municipality may use the fee revenue collected under |
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this section only for road or bridge projects in the municipality. |
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(i) The department shall collect the additional fee on a |
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vehicle that is owned by a resident of a municipality imposing a fee |
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under this section and that, under this chapter, must be registered |
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directly with the department. The department shall send all fees |
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collected for a municipality under this subsection to the municipal |
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treasurer to be used as provided by Subsection (h). |
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(j) The department shall adopt rules and develop forms |
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necessary to administer registration by mail for a vehicle being |
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registered in a county containing a municipality imposing a fee |
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under this section. |
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SECTION 5. Section 502.353(g), Transportation Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(g) A vehicle registered under this section is not subject |
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to the fee required by Section 502.172, 502.1721, or 502.173. |
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SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |