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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to suspending a vehicle registration for the failure to |
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establish financial responsibility; imposing penalties. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter H, Chapter 601, Transportation Code, |
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is amended by adding Sections 601.235 and 601.236 to read as |
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follows: |
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Sec. 601.235. SUSPENSION OF MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION BY |
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THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES. (a) The Texas Department |
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of Motor Vehicles may access the records of the Texas Department of |
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Insurance and the Department of Public Safety to perform its duties |
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under this section. |
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(b) The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, using its own |
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records, the records of the Texas Department of Insurance, and the |
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records of the Department of Public Safety, shall verify quarterly |
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whether owners of motor vehicles have established financial |
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responsibility under this chapter. |
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(c) If the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles determines |
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that the owner of a motor vehicle has not established the financial |
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responsibility required by this chapter, that department shall send |
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a notice to the owner: |
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(1) requiring the owner to submit the evidence |
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required under Section 502.046 to the Texas Department of Motor |
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Vehicles before the 45th day after the date the notice is sent; and |
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(2) warning the owner that the Texas Department of |
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Motor Vehicles will suspend the owner's vehicle registration if the |
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owner does not comply with Subdivision (1). |
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(d) If the owner does not comply with Subsection (c)(1), the |
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Texas Department of Motor Vehicles shall suspend the owner's |
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vehicle registration and mail a notice to the owner in a timely |
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manner that states that the owner's vehicle registration is |
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suspended. |
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(e) A suspension under Subsection (d) continues until the |
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owner: |
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(1) submits evidence of financial responsibility |
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required under Section 502.046; and |
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(2) pays an administrative fee of $200. |
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(f) The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles shall adopt rules |
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to implement this section. |
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(g) Information obtained under this section is confidential |
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and may be used only for a purpose authorized by this section and |
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may not be used for a commercial purpose. The information may be |
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shared with counties. |
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(h) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly uses |
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information obtained under this section for any purpose not |
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authorized by this section. An offense under this subsection is a |
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Class B misdemeanor. |
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Sec. 601.236. AGENT. (a) The Texas Department of Motor |
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Vehicles, under a competitive bidding procedure, shall select an |
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agent to develop, implement, operate, and maintain the financial |
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responsibility verification program under Section 601.235. |
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(b) A contract under this section may not have a term of more |
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than eight years. |
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SECTION 2. The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles shall |
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select an agent required by Section 601.236, Transportation Code, |
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as added by this Act, before December 31, 2015. The department |
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shall adopt rules as required by Section 601.235, Transportation |
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Code, as added by this Act, not later than seven months before the |
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full implementation of the program under that section. The |
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department shall require full implementation of the program for |
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vehicles covered under a personal automobile insurance policy |
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before December 31, 2016, and implementation of that program for |
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vehicles covered under a commercial insurance policy when the |
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department determines that implementation for vehicles covered |
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under a commercial insurance policy is feasible. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |