BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 75

By: González, Mary

Transportation

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Currently, certain farmers using state highways are issued specialty license plates by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles exempting their vehicles and equipment from registration requirements. Interested parties contend that this exemption does not include farmers who rent or borrow equipment through local farmers' cooperatives, a cost-effective approach especially important to smaller farmers but one that leaves those farmers susceptible to fines for lack of proper registration for the vehicles and equipment. H.B. 75 seeks to remedy this situation.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

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. 75 amends the Transportation Code to extend the exemption from vehicle registration requirements for certain farm vehicles and equipment to a vehicle owned by a farmers' cooperative society or a cooperative marketing association and used by members of the society or association for a fee if the vehicle otherwise meets the requirements of the exemption. The bill creates an exception to the prohibition against the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles issuing specialty license plates to an owner of a farm trailer or farm semitrailer of a certain weight for such vehicles owned by a farmers' cooperative society or a cooperative marketing association.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2015.