Bill Text: TX HB1711 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relating to the issuance of digital license plates; authorizing a fee.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2019-05-23 - Senate appoints conferees-reported [HB1711 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HB1711-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Relating to the issuance of digital license plates; authorizing a fee.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2019-05-23 - Senate appoints conferees-reported [HB1711 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HB1711-Introduced.html
86R4655 JRR-D | ||
By: Paddie | H.B. No. 1711 |
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relating to the issuance of digital license plates; authorizing a | ||
fee. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Chapter 504, Transportation Code, is amended by | ||
adding Subchapter B-1 to read as follows: | ||
SUBCHAPTER B-1. DIGITAL LICENSE PLATES | ||
Sec. 504.151. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: | ||
(1) "Digital license plate" means an electronic | ||
display that is designed to: | ||
(A) display the information required to be | ||
included on a physical license plate; and | ||
(B) be placed on a vehicle registered under | ||
Chapter 502 in lieu of a physical license plate issued under this | ||
chapter. | ||
(2) "Digital license plate provider" means a person | ||
engaged in the business of providing digital license plate hardware | ||
and services to vehicle owners, including the sale or lease of | ||
digital license plates, processing of vehicle registration and | ||
collection of registration fees, and issuance of digital license | ||
plates. | ||
Sec. 504.152. APPLICABILITY OF OTHER LAW. Except as | ||
otherwise provided by this subchapter or a rule adopted under this | ||
subchapter, a digital license plate issued under this subchapter is | ||
subject to the laws of this state applicable to a physical license | ||
plate. | ||
Sec. 504.153. RULES. The board shall adopt rules as | ||
necessary to implement and administer this subchapter. | ||
Sec. 504.154. DIGITAL LICENSE PLATES AUTHORIZED. (a) The | ||
board by rule shall allow a vehicle registered under Chapter 502 to | ||
be equipped with a digital license plate in lieu of a physical | ||
license plate issued under this chapter. | ||
(b) The department may contract with a digital license plate | ||
provider for the issuance of digital license plates, including any | ||
services related to the issuance of digital license plates. | ||
(c) Notwithstanding any other law, a rule adopted under this | ||
subchapter may: | ||
(1) authorize a digital license plate provider to | ||
process vehicle registration transactions on behalf of the | ||
department for vehicles issued digital license plates, including | ||
the renewal of registration of the vehicle, and require the | ||
provider to remit any vehicle registration fees collected to the | ||
department in the manner prescribed by the department; | ||
(2) authorize the display of the vehicle's | ||
registration insignia on each digital license plate issued for the | ||
vehicle in lieu of attaching the registration insignia to the | ||
inside of the vehicle's windshield as required by Section 502.059; | ||
(3) authorize the owner of a vehicle issued a digital | ||
license plate to pay a prorated monthly registration fee for the | ||
vehicle, to be computed in the manner provided by Section | ||
502.044(c); or | ||
(4) authorize the owner of a vehicle issued a digital | ||
license plate to attach the digital license plate to the rear of the | ||
vehicle in lieu of attaching two physical license plates to the | ||
vehicle. | ||
Sec. 504.155. DIGITAL LICENSE PLATES REQUIREMENTS AND | ||
PERMISSIVE FUNCTIONALITY. (a) The board by rule shall set the | ||
specifications and requirements for digital license plates, | ||
including requirements for the placement of digital license plates. | ||
The design of and information displayed on a digital license plate | ||
must be approved by the department. | ||
(b) A digital license plate issued under this subchapter | ||
must: | ||
(1) meet the specifications and requirements adopted | ||
under Subsection (a); | ||
(2) include the information required to be included on | ||
a physical license plate and legibly display that information at | ||
all times and in all light conditions, provided that the license | ||
plate may display the information in a smaller typeface when the | ||
vehicle is parked; and | ||
(3) have wireless connectivity capability. | ||
(c) The department shall consult with law enforcement | ||
agencies when considering whether to approve the design of a | ||
digital license plate. | ||
(d) A rule adopted under this subchapter may: | ||
(1) authorize the use of a digital license plate for | ||
electronic toll collection or to display a parking permit; or | ||
(2) establish procedures for displaying on a digital | ||
license plate: | ||
(A) an emergency alert or other public safety | ||
alert issued by a governmental entity, including an alert | ||
authorized under Subchapter L, M, or P, Chapter 411, Government | ||
Code; | ||
(B) vehicle manufacturer safety recall notices; | ||
(C) static logo displays, including unique | ||
displays for fleet vehicles; or | ||
(D) advertising approved by the department. | ||
Sec. 504.156. DIGITAL LICENSE PLATE PROVIDER POWERS AND | ||
DUTIES. A digital license plate provider with whom the department | ||
contracts under Section 504.154: | ||
(1) shall maintain an inventory of the digital license | ||
plates issued by the provider in this state; | ||
(2) shall make available a digital version of each | ||
specialty license plate authorized by this chapter, other than | ||
personalized license plates authorized for marketing and sale under | ||
Subchapter J, provided that: | ||
(A) each issuance of a specialty license plate | ||
with restricted distribution, including a license plate authorized | ||
under Subchapter C, D, E, or F, must be approved by the department; | ||
and | ||
(B) the provider shall remit to the department in | ||
the manner prescribed by the department all money: | ||
(i) payable to the department; or | ||
(ii) required to be used or deposited in the | ||
manner prescribed by the law establishing the license plate; | ||
(3) may contract with the private vendor authorized | ||
under Subchapter J to make available a digital version of a | ||
personalized license plate authorized for marketing and sale under | ||
that subchapter, provided that the contract shall conform with any | ||
applicable requirements of Subchapter J and the terms of the | ||
private vendor's contract with the department; | ||
(4) may process vehicle registration transactions for | ||
vehicles issued digital license plates, including the renewal of | ||
registration of the vehicle, and shall remit any vehicle | ||
registration fees collected to the department in the manner | ||
prescribed by the department, if authorized by a rule adopted under | ||
Section 504.154(c)(1); | ||
(5) shall, if a digital license plate displays a | ||
registration insignia as authorized by a rule adopted under Section | ||
504.154(c)(2), promptly update the display of the registration | ||
insignia to reflect the current registration period for the vehicle | ||
and, on request of the department, suspend the display of the | ||
registration insignia or indicate on the license plate that the | ||
registration insignia for the vehicle is expired; | ||
(6) may provide any service related to the issuance of | ||
a digital license plate that is authorized by board rule, including | ||
the sale, lease, and installation of and customer service for a | ||
digital license plate; | ||
(7) may charge a fee, payable in installments, for the | ||
issuance of a digital license plate or any additional services | ||
provided by the provider for that license plate; and | ||
(8) may, at the request of an owner of a vehicle issued | ||
a digital license plate and if authorized by a rule adopted under | ||
Section 504.154(c)(3), enter into an installment payment agreement | ||
with the owner that allows the owner to pay a prorated monthly | ||
registration fee for the vehicle. | ||
Sec. 504.157. LIABILITY FOR REFUSAL TO PROCESS VEHICLE | ||
REGISTRATION. A digital license plate provider authorized to | ||
process vehicle registration transactions under this subchapter is | ||
not liable to any person for refusing to process a vehicle | ||
registration transaction because of the person's failure to provide | ||
verification of the person's compliance with Chapter 548. | ||
Sec. 504.158. DEFENSE TO PROSECUTION OF CERTAIN OFFENSES. | ||
It is a defense to prosecution of an offense involving the operation | ||
of a motor vehicle and relating to the placement of a license plate, | ||
including the number of license plates required to be displayed on | ||
the vehicle, or the display of a registration insignia that the | ||
vehicle was operated in compliance with rules issued under this | ||
subchapter governing the placement of a digital license plate, | ||
including the number of digital license plates required to be | ||
displayed on the vehicle, or the display of a registration insignia | ||
on a digital license plate, as applicable. | ||
SECTION 2. Not later than December 31, 2019, the board of | ||
the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles shall adopt the rules | ||
required by Subchapter B-1, Chapter 504, Transportation Code, as | ||
added by this Act, and any other rules necessary to implement and | ||
administer that subchapter. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |