BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 3288

By: Canales

Transportation

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Current law requires the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles notice of transfer form for a used motor vehicle to be filed by a seller within 30 days of delivering the vehicle to the purchaser. The purpose of this form is to relieve the seller of liability for future parking tickets, tolls, or accidents involving the vehicle, and the form includes a place for the seller to state their full name and address and the purchaser's full name and address. However, it is currently not required that the form be completely filled out in order to be processed. H.B. 3288 will address this issue by clarifying that the form must be completed and include the full name, address, and telephone number of the purchaser. 

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. 3288 amends the Transportation Code to require the notice form provided by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) for the transfer of a used motor vehicle to include a place for the seller to state the telephone number of both the seller and the purchaser of the vehicle. The bill conditions the rebuttable presumption that the purchaser of such a vehicle is the owner of the vehicle after the transfer and subject to civil and criminal liability arising out of the future use, operation, or abandonment of the vehicle on the notice of transfer received by TxDMV including the purchaser's full name, address, and telephone number. The bill applies only to the transfer of a used motor vehicle that occurs on or after the bill's effective date.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.