BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2615

By: Goldman

Licensing & Administrative Procedures

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties have expressed a need to remove barriers and redundancies from licensing requirements relating to the towing and storage of vehicles. The parties contend that it is burdensome and unnecessary for a person who is a vehicle storage facility employee and a towing operator to hold numerous licenses. H.B. 2615 seeks to address this issue by repealing provisions relating to dual licenses for such persons and by authorizing persons holding certain towing operator's licenses to work at vehicle storage facilities.

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. 2615 amends the Occupations Code to authorize a person holding an incident management towing operator's license, a private property towing operator's license, or a consent towing operator's license to work at a vehicle storage facility regulated under the Vehicle Storage Facility Act. The bill makes those bill provisions applicable to a license issued or renewed before, on, or after the bill's effective date.

H.B. 2615 repeals a provision of the Vehicle Storage Facility Act and a provision of the Texas Towing and Booting Act relating to the issuance of a dual license for a person who is a vehicle storage facility employee and a towing operator. The bill establishes that a vehicle storage facility employee and towing operator dual license issued under those provisions that is unexpired or eligible for renewal by the license holder on the bill's effective date expires on the earlier of the expiration date stated on the license or the date of issuance of an incident management towing operator's license, a private property towing operator's license, or a consent towing operator's license issued to the license holder.

H.B. 2615 repeals Sections 2303.1016 and 2308.1521, Occupations Code.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2017.