By: Guillen H.B. No. 3760
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the disposition of surplus vehicles by a governmental
  agency.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 503.063, Transportation Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         Sec. 503.063.  BUYER'S TEMPORARY TAGS. (a) Except as
  provided by this section, a dealer or federal, state, or local
  governmental agency exempt from the requirements to obtain a dealer
  general distinguishing number under Section 503.024(a)(2) shall
  issue to a person who buys a vehicle one temporary buyer's tag for
  the vehicle.
         (b)  Except as provided by this section, the buyer's tag is
  valid for the operation of the vehicle until the earlier of:
               (1)  the date on which the vehicle is registered; or
               (2)  the 60th day after the date of purchase.
         (c)  The dealer or federal, state, or local governmental
  agency:
               (1)  must show in ink on the buyer's tag the actual date
  of sale and any other required information; and
               (2)  is responsible for displaying the tag.
         (d)  The dealer or federal, state, or local governmental
  agency is responsible for the safekeeping and distribution of each
  buyer's tag the dealer or federal, state, or local governmental
  agency obtains.
         (e)  The department may not issue a buyer's tag or contract
  for the issuance of a buyer's tag but shall prescribe:
               (1)  the specifications, color, and form of a buyer's
  tag; and
               (2)  procedures for a dealer or federal, state, or
  local governmental agency to:
                     (A)  generate a vehicle-specific number using the
  database developed under Section 503.0631 and assign it to each
  tag;
                     (B)  generate a vehicle-specific number using the
  database developed under Section 503.0631 for future use for when a
  dealer or federal, state, or local governmental agency is unable to
  access the Internet at the time of sale; and
                     (C)  clearly display the vehicle-specific number
  on the tag.
         (f)  The department shall ensure that a dealer or federal,
  state, or local governmental agency may generate in advance a
  sufficient amount of vehicle-specific numbers under Subsection
  (e)(2)(B) in order to continue selling vehicles for a period of up
  to one week in which a dealer or federal, state, or local
  governmental agency is unable to access the Internet due to an
  emergency. The department shall establish an expedited procedure
  to allow affected dealers or federal, state, or local governmental
  agency to apply for additional vehicle-specific numbers so they may
  remain in business during an emergency.
         (g)  For each buyer's temporary tag, a dealer shall charge
  the buyer a registration fee of not more than $5 as prescribed by
  the department to be sent to the comptroller for deposit to the
  credit of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles fund. A federal,
  state, or local governmental agency is not required to charge the
  fee prescribed under this Subsection.
         SECTION 2.  Section 503.0631, Transportation Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 503.0631.  BUYER'S TEMPORARY TAG DATABASE.
         (c)  Except as provided by Subsection (d), before a buyer's
  temporary tag may be displayed on a vehicle, a dealer or federal,
  state, or local governmental agency must enter into the database
  through the Internet information about the buyer of the vehicle for
  which the tag was issued as prescribed by the department and
  generate a vehicle-specific number for the tag as required by
  Section 503.063(e). The department may not deny access to the
  database to any dealer who holds a general distinguishing number
  issued under this chapter or who is licensed under Chapter 2301,
  Occupations Code.
         (d)  A dealer or federal, state, or local governmental agency
  shall obtain 24-hour Internet access at its place of business or
  operation, but if the dealer or federal, state, or local
  governmental agency is unable to access the Internet at the time of
  the sale of a vehicle, the dealer or federal, state, or local
  governmental agency shall complete and sign a form, as prescribed
  by the department, that states the dealer or federal, state, or
  local governmental agency has Internet access, but was unable to
  access the Internet at the time of sale. The buyer shall keep the
  original copy of the form in the vehicle until the vehicle is
  registered to the buyer.
  Not later than the next business day after
  the time of sale, the dealer or federal, state, or local
  governmental agency shall submit the information required under
  Subsection (c).
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.