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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the refusal to register motor vehicles by a county |
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assessor-collector or the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 502.185, Transportation Code, is amended |
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by amending Subsections (a), (b), and (f) and adding Subsection |
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(f-1) to read as follows: |
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(a) A county assessor-collector or the department may |
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refuse to register a motor vehicle if the assessor-collector or the |
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department receives information that the owner of the vehicle: |
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(1) owes the county money for a fine, fee, or tax that |
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is past due; or |
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(2) failed to appear in connection with a complaint or |
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citation relating to a county fine, fee, or tax. |
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(b) A county may contract with the department or the county |
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assessor-collector to provide information to the department or the |
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assessor-collector necessary to make a determination under |
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Subsection (a). |
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(f) A county that has a contract under Subsection (b) may |
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impose an additional fee of $20 to: |
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(1) a person who fails to pay [paying] a fine, fee, or |
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tax to the county by the date on which the fine, fee, or tax is |
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[after it is past] due; or |
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(2) a person who fails to appear in connection with a |
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complaint or citation relating to a county fine, fee, or tax. |
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(f-1) The additional fee may be used only to reimburse the |
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department or the county assessor-collector for its expenses for |
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providing services under the contract. |
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SECTION 2. Section 702.003, Transportation Code, is amended |
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by amending Subsections (b) and (c) and adding Subsection (e-1) to |
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read as follows: |
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(b) A municipality may contract with the assessor-collector |
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for the [a] county in which the municipality is located or the |
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department to provide information to the county assessor-collector |
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or department necessary to make a determination under Subsection |
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(a). |
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(c) A municipality that has a contract under Subsection (b) |
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shall notify the county assessor-collector or the department |
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regarding a person for whom the county assessor-collector or the |
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department has refused to register a motor vehicle on: |
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(1) entry of a judgment against the person and the |
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person's payment to the court of the fine for the violation and of |
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all court costs; |
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(2) perfection of an appeal of the case for which the |
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arrest warrant was issued; or |
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(3) dismissal of the charge for which the arrest |
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warrant was issued. |
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(e-1) A municipality that has a contract under Subsection |
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(b) may impose an additional $20 fee to a person who has an |
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outstanding warrant from the municipality for failure to appear or |
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failure to pay a fine on a complaint that involves the violation of |
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a traffic law. The additional fee may be used only to reimburse the |
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department or the county assessor-collector for its expenses for |
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providing services under the contract. |
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SECTION 3. The changes in law made by Sections 502.185 and |
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702.003, Transportation Code, as amended by this Act, apply only to |
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a failure to appear or a fine, fee, or tax in connection with a |
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complaint or citation issued on or after the effective date of this |
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Act. A failure to appear or a fine, fee, or tax in connection with a |
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complaint or citation issued before the effective date of this Act |
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is subject to the law in effect on that date, and that law is |
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continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |
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* * * * * |