BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 3224
88R14411 AJZ-F	By: Guillen (LaMantia)
	Transportation
	5/11/2023
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Under current law, an individual who fails to pay their motor vehicle liability insurance is subject to having both their driver's license and vehicle registration revoked. There are concerns that there can be more than one name on the vehicle registration, and if a registration is revoked because one registered driver fails to pay their liability insurance, other responsible drivers who are not responsible for the failure to pay are also subject to the consequences. H.B. 3224 seeks to protect financially responsible individuals from becoming collateral damage in a situation that is out of their control by removing the mandatory vehicle registration suspension for violating the motor vehicle liability insurance requirement in certain circumstances.

H.B. 3224 amends current law relating to the status of the registration of a vehicle after a failure to establish financial responsibility.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends the heading to Subchapter H, Chapter 601, Transportation Code, to read as follows:

SUBCHAPTER H. FAILURE TO MAINTAIN EVIDENCE OF FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY;� SUSPENSION OF DRIVER'S LICENSE

SECTION 2. Amends the heading to Section 601.231, Transportation Code, to read as follows:

Sec. 601.231.� SUSPENSION OF DRIVER'S LICENSE.

SECTION 3. Amends Section 601.231(a), Transportation Code, as follows:

(a) Requires the Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas (DPS), if a person is convicted of an offense under Section 601.191 (Operation of Motor Vehicle in Violation of Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance Requirement; Offense) and a prior conviction of that person under that section has been reported to DPS by a magistrate or the judge or clerk of a court, to suspend the driver's license, rather than the driver's license and vehicle registrations, of the person unless the person files and maintains evidence of financial responsibility with DPS until the second anniversary of the date of the subsequent conviction.

SECTION 4. Amends Section 601.232, Transportation Code, as follows:

Sec. 601.232. NOTICE OF SUSPENSION. (a) Requires DPS to send in a timely manner a notice to each person whose driver's license is suspended, rather than whose driver's license and vehicle registrations are suspended, under Section 601.231.

(b) Makes conforming changes to this subsection.

SECTION 5. Amends Section 601.233(a), Transportation Code, as follows:

(a) Requires that a citation for an offense under Section 601.191 issued as a result of Section 601.053 (Evidence of Financial Responsibility) include, in type larger than other type on the citation, a certain statement. Sets forth the language required to be included on the statement.

SECTION 6. Makes application of this Act prospective.

SECTION 7. Effective date: September 1, 2023.