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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to fees collected for processing and handling vehicle |
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registration applications. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Sec. 502.1911.
REGISTRATION PROCESSING AND
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HANDLING FEE.
(a)
The department may collect a fee, in addition to
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other registration fees for the issuance of a license plate, a set
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of license plates, or another device used as the registration
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insignia, to cover the expenses of collecting those registration
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fees, including a service charge for registration by mail.
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(b) The board by rule shall set the fee in an amount that:
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(1)
includes the fee established under Section
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502.356(a); and
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(2)
is sufficient to cover the expenses associated
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with collecting registration fees by:
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(A) the department;
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(B) a county tax assessor-collector;
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(C)
a private entity with which a county tax
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assessor-collector contracts under Section 502.197; or
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(D)
a deputy assessor-collector that is
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deputized in accordance with board rule under Section 520.0071.
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(c)
The county tax assessor-collector, a private entity
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with which a county tax assessor-collector contracts under Section
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502.197, or a deputy assessor-collector may retain a portion of the
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fee collected under Subsection (b) as provided by board rule.
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Remaining amounts collected under this section shall be deposited
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to the credit of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles fund.
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SECTION 2. Section 502.197(b), Transportation Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(b) With the approval of the commissioners court of a |
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county, a county assessor-collector may contract with a private |
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entity to enable an applicant for registration to use an electronic |
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off-premises location. A private entity may collect a service |
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charge in [retain] an amount determined by the board [under Section
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502.1911] for the service provided. |
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SECTION 3. Section 502.198(a), Transportation Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) Except as provided by Sections 502.058, 502.060, |
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[502.1911,] 502.192, and 502.357, this section applies to all fees |
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collected by a county assessor-collector under this chapter. |
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SECTION 4. Sections 520.006(a) and (a-1), Transportation |
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Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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(a) A county assessor-collector shall collect a service |
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charge of $1.95 from each applicant registering a vehicle [retain
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an amount determined by the board under Section 502.1911 for each
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receipt issued] under Chapter 502. |
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(a-1) A county assessor-collector collecting fees on behalf |
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of a county that has been declared as a disaster area or that is |
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closed for a protracted period of time as defined by the department |
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for purposes of Section 501.023 or 502.040 may retain the service |
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charge authorized under Subsection (a) and any other commission for |
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fees collected under Chapter 501 or 502, but shall allocate any |
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other [the] fees that county assessor-collectors are authorized to |
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retain under Chapter 501 or 502 to the county declared as a disaster |
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area or that is closed for a protracted period of time. |
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SECTION 5. Sections 502.191(f) and 502.197(a), |
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Transportation Code, are repealed. |
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SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |