By: Geren (Senate Sponsor - Seliger) H.B. No. 804

(In the Senate - Received from the House April 27, 2015; May 6, 2015, read first time and referred to Committee on Business and Commerce; May 20, 2015, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 20, 2015, sent to printer.) Click here to see the committee vote

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the forms of payment that the operator of a vehicle storage facility must accept.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 2303.159, Occupations Code, is amended by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows:

(a) The operator of a vehicle storage facility shall accept each of the following forms of payment [by an electronic check, debit card, or credit card] for any charge associated with delivery or storage of a vehicle:

(1) cash;

(2) debit card; and

(3) credit card.

(a-1) The operator of a vehicle storage facility shall conspicuously post a sign that states: "This vehicle storage facility must accept payment by cash, [an electronic check,] credit card, and [or] debit card for any fee or charge associated with delivery or storage of a vehicle." The operator of a vehicle storage facility may not refuse to release a vehicle based on the inability of the facility to accept payment by [electronic check,] debit card[,] or credit card of a fee or charge associated with delivery or storage of the vehicle unless the operator, through no fault of the operator, is unable to accept the [electronic check,] debit card[,] or credit card because of a power outage or a machine malfunction.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.

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