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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the fines for the operation of overweight vehicles |
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transporting agricultural products. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 623.019, Transportation Code, is amended |
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by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (i) to read as |
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follows: |
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(b) Except as provided by Subsections (c), [and] (d), and |
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(i), an offense under Subsection (a) is a misdemeanor punishable by |
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a fine of not less than $100 or more than $250. |
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(i) An offense under Subsection (a) is a misdemeanor |
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punishable by a fine of not more than $25 if the offense involves a |
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vehicle loaded primarily with agricultural products in their |
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natural state. If it is shown on the trial of an offense under |
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Subsection (a) that the actor has previously been convicted one or |
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more times of an offense punishable under this subsection, the |
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offense is punishable by, as applicable: |
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(1) a fine according to the schedules as provided by |
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Subsection (c); or |
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(2) a fine calculated in the manner described by |
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Subsection (d). |
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SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is |
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governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed, |
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and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For |
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purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the |
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effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred |
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before that date. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |