By: Guillen (Senate Sponsor - LaMantia) H.B. No. 3224
         (In the Senate - Received from the House May 3, 2023;
  May 5, 2023, read first time and referred to Committee on
  Transportation; May 17, 2023, reported favorably by the following
  vote:  Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 17, 2023, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
 
 
  COMMITTEE VOTE
 
 
         YeaNayAbsentPNV
         NicholsX
         WestX
         AlvaradoX
         EckhardtX
         HancockX
         KingX
         MilesX
         ParkerX
         PerryX
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the status of the registration of a vehicle after a
  failure to establish financial responsibility.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  The heading to Subchapter H, Chapter 601,
  Transportation Code, is amended to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER H. FAILURE TO MAINTAIN EVIDENCE OF FINANCIAL
  RESPONSIBILITY;  SUSPENSION OF DRIVER'S LICENSE [AND MOTOR VEHICLE
  REGISTRATION]
         SECTION 2.  The heading to Section 601.231, Transportation
  Code, is amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 601.231.  SUSPENSION OF DRIVER'S LICENSE [AND VEHICLE
  REGISTRATION].
         SECTION 3.  Section 601.231(a), Transportation Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (a)  If a person is convicted of an offense under Section
  601.191 and a prior conviction of that person under that section has
  been reported to the department by a magistrate or the judge or
  clerk of a court, the department shall suspend the driver's license
  [and vehicle registrations] of the person unless the person files
  and maintains evidence of financial responsibility with the
  department until the second anniversary of the date of the
  subsequent conviction.
         SECTION 4.  Section 601.232, Transportation Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         Sec. 601.232.  NOTICE OF SUSPENSION.  (a)  The department
  shall send in a timely manner a notice to each person whose driver's
  license is [and vehicle registrations are] suspended under Section
  601.231.
         (b)  The notice must state that the person's driver's license
  is [and registration are] suspended and that the person may apply
  for reinstatement of the license [and vehicle registration] or
  issuance of a new license [and registration] as provided by
  Sections 601.162 and 601.376.
         SECTION 5.  Section 601.233(a), Transportation Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (a)  A citation for an offense under Section 601.191 issued
  as a result of Section 601.053 must include, in type larger than
  other type on the citation, the following statement:
  "A second or subsequent conviction of an offense under the Texas
  Motor Vehicle Safety Responsibility Act will result in the
  suspension of your driver's license [and motor vehicle
  registration] unless you file and maintain evidence of financial
  responsibility with the Department of Public Safety for two years
  from the date of conviction.  The department may waive the
  requirement to file evidence of financial responsibility if you
  file satisfactory evidence with the department showing that at the
  time this citation was issued, the vehicle was covered by a motor
  vehicle liability insurance policy or that you were otherwise
  exempt from the requirements to provide evidence of financial
  responsibility."
         SECTION 6.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
  to a vehicle registration suspended for an offense committed on or
  after the effective date of this Act.  A vehicle registration
  suspended for an offense committed before the effective date of
  this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was
  committed, and the former law is continued in effect for that
  purpose.  For purposes of this section, an offense was committed
  before the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense
  occurred before that date.
         SECTION 7.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
 
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