By: Taylor of Galveston, Hall S.B. No. 1001

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to vehicles exempt from vehicle safety inspections.

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

SECTION 1. Section 548.005, Transportation Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 548.005. INSPECTION ONLY BY CERTAIN [STATE-CERTIFIED AND SUPERVISED] INSPECTION STATIONS [STATION]. A compulsory inspection under this chapter may be made only by an inspection station, except that the department may:

(1) permit inspection to be made by an inspector under terms and conditions the department prescribes;

(2) authorize the acceptance in this state of a certificate of inspection and approval issued in another state having a similar inspection law; [and]

(3) authorize the acceptance in this state of a certificate of inspection and approval issued in compliance with 49 C.F.R. Part 396 to a motor bus, as defined by Section 502.001, that is registered in this state but is not domiciled in this state; and

(4) authorize the acceptance in this state of a certificate of inspection and approval issued:

(A) by an inspector qualified under 49 C.F.R. Part 396 acting as an employee or authorized agent of the owner of a commercial fleet, as defined in Section 502.001; and

(B) to a motor vehicle or trailer that is:

(i) part of the fleet; and

(ii) registered or in the process of being registered in this state.

SECTION 2. Section 548.052, Transportation Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 548.052. VEHICLES NOT SUBJECT TO INSPECTION. This chapter does not apply to:

(1) a trailer, semitrailer, pole trailer, or mobile home moving under or bearing a current factory-delivery license plate or current in-transit license plate;

(2) a vehicle moving under or bearing a paper dealer in-transit tag, machinery license, disaster license, parade license, prorate tab, one-trip permit, vehicle temporary transit permit, antique license, custom vehicle license, street rod license, temporary 24-hour permit, or permit license;

(3) a trailer, semitrailer, pole trailer, or mobile home having an actual gross weight or registered gross weight of 7,500 [4,500] pounds or less;

(4) farm machinery, road-building equipment, a farm trailer, or a vehicle required to display a slow-moving-vehicle emblem under Section 547.703;

(5) a former military vehicle, as defined by Section 504.502;

(6) a vehicle qualified for a tax exemption under Section 152.092, Tax Code; or

(7) a vehicle for which a certificate of title has been issued but that is not required to be registered.

SECTION 3. Subchapter H, Chapter 548, Transportation Code, is amended by adding Section 548.510 to read as follows:

Sec. 548.510. FEE FOR CERTAIN VEHICLES NOT SUBJECT TO INSPECTION; COLLECTION OF FEE DURING REGISTRATION. (a) A vehicle described by Section 548.052(3) that has an actual gross weight or registered gross weight of more than 4,500 pounds is subject to a fee in the amount of $7.50.

(b) The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles or a county assessor-collector that registers a vehicle described by Subsection (a) shall collect at the time of registration of the vehicle the fee prescribed by Subsection (a). The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles or the county assessor-collector, as applicable, shall remit the fee to the comptroller. Each fee remitted to the comptroller under this section shall be deposited as follows:

(1) $3.50 to the credit of the Texas mobility fund;

(2) $2 to the credit of the general revenue fund; and

(3) $2 to the credit of the clean air account.

(c) The fee collected under Subsection (a) is not a motor vehicle registration fee and the revenue collected from the fee is not required to be used for a purpose specified by Section 7-a, Article VIII, Texas Constitution.

SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.