AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Under current law, government-owned vehicles, public school buses, fire-fighting vehicles, and county marine law enforcement vehicles are exempt from the state’s required vehicle registration fee, but vehicles used by the United States (U.S.) Coast Guard Auxiliary are not.  Accordingly, because the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary assists the U.S. Coast Guard during normal and emergency situations it is consistent with current law to allow for vehicles owned by units of the Coast Guard Auxiliary headquartered in Texas to be exempt from vehicle registration fees.

 

HB 1360 exempt vehicles owned by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary from payment of registration fees.

 

H.B. 1360 amends current law relating to the exemption of certain vehicles from registration fees.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 502.453, Transportation Code, as follows:

 

Sec. 502.453.  New heading: GOVERNMENT-OWNED VEHICLES; PUBLIC SCHOOL BUSES; FIRE-FIGHTING VEHICLES; COUNTY MARINE LAW ENFORCEMENT VEHICLES; U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY VEHICLES.  (a)  Authorizes the owner of a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer to annually apply for registration under Section 502.451 (Exempt Vehicles) and provides that such an owner is exempt from the payment of a registration fee under this chapter if the vehicle is:

 

(1)-(4) Makes no change to these subdivisions;

 

(5) and (6)  Makes nonsubstantive changes to these subdivisions; or

 

(7) owned by units of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary headquartered in Texas and used exclusively for conduct of United States Coast Guard or Coast Guard Auxiliary business and operations, including search and rescue, emergency communications, and disaster operations.

 

(b)  Requires that an application for registration under this section of a vehicle described by Subsection (a)(7) include a statement signed by a person having authority to act for the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary that the vehicle or trailer is used exclusively in fulfillment of an authorized mission of the United States Coast Guard or Coast Guard Auxiliary, including search and rescue, patrol, emergency communications, or disaster operations.

 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2015.