BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1244

By: Geren

Transportation

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties assert that the refusal by a county assessor-collector or the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) to register a motor vehicle because the vehicle's owner is delinquent in the payment of a civil penalty imposed under the law relating to a photographic traffic signal enforcement system can unfairly delay transfer of the vehicle's title or registration before the alleged violation is resolved and unnecessarily compound the situation for an otherwise law-abiding citizen. H.B. 1244 seeks to protect such a motor vehicle owner by prohibiting a county assessor-collector or TxDMV from refusing to transfer the title of or register a motor vehicle alleged to have been involved in a violation detected by a photographic traffic signal enforcement system on grounds related to that violation.

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. 1244 amends the Transportation Code to remove the authorization for the county
assessor-collector or the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) to refuse to register a motor vehicle alleged to have been involved in a violation detected by a photographic traffic signal enforcement system if the owner of the motor vehicle is delinquent in the payment of a civil penalty imposed for the violation. The bill instead prohibits the county assessor-collector or TxDMV from refusing to transfer the title of or register a motor vehicle alleged to have been involved in such a violation solely based on the alleged violation or because the owner of the motor vehicle is delinquent in the payment of a civil penalty imposed for the violation. The bill prohibits a local authority or the person with which the local authority contracts for the administration and enforcement of a photographic traffic signal enforcement system from providing information about a violation detected by such a system to a person authorized to register or issue a title for certain vehicles.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2017.