Bill Text: TX HB3770 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Introduced


Bill Title: Relating to the refusal to register motor vehicles by a county assessor-collector or the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles; authorizing a fee.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-04-23 - Left pending in committee [HB3770 Detail]

Download: Texas-2013-HB3770-Introduced.html
  83R7209 JRR-D
 
  By: Coleman H.B. No. 3770
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the refusal to register motor vehicles by a county
  assessor-collector or the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles;
  authorizing a fee.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  The heading to Chapter 702, Transportation Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
  CHAPTER 702.  CONTRACTS FOR ENFORCEMENT OF CERTAIN ARREST WARRANTS
  OR PAYMENT OF CERTAIN FINES
         SECTION 2.  Section 702.003, Transportation Code, is amended
  by amending Subsections (a), (c), and (e-1) and adding Subsections
  (e-2) and (g) to read as follows:
         (a) A county assessor-collector or the department may refuse
  to register a motor vehicle if the assessor-collector or the
  department receives under a contract information from a
  municipality that the owner of the vehicle:
               (1)  has an outstanding warrant from that municipality
  for failure to appear or failure to pay a fine on a complaint that
  involves the violation of a traffic law; or
               (2)  is past due in the payment of a fine from that
  municipality on a complaint that involves the violation of a
  traffic law.
         (c)  A municipality that has a contract under Subsection (b)
  shall notify the county assessor-collector or the department
  regarding a person for whom the county assessor-collector or the
  department has refused to register a motor vehicle on:
               (1)  entry of a judgment against the person and the
  person's payment to the court of the fine for the violation and of
  all court costs;
               (2)  perfection of an appeal of the case for which the
  arrest warrant was issued or the case contesting payment of the
  fine; or
               (3)  dismissal of the charge for which the arrest
  warrant was issued or discharge of the past due fine.
         (e-1)  A municipality that has a contract under Subsection
  (b) may impose an additional $20 fee to:
               (1)  a person who has an outstanding warrant from the
  municipality for failure to appear or failure to pay a fine on a
  complaint that involves the violation of a traffic law; or
               (2)  a person paying a past due fine from the
  municipality on a complaint that involves the violation of a
  traffic law
         (e-2)  The additional fee imposed under Subsection (e-1) may
  be used only to reimburse the department or the county
  assessor-collector for its expenses for providing services under
  the contract, or another county department for expenses related to
  services under the contract.
         (g)  In this section:
               (1)  a fine is considered past due if it is unpaid 90 or
  more days after the date it is due; and
               (2)  registration of a motor vehicle includes renewal
  of the registration of the vehicle.
         SECTION 3.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
  a fine in connection with a complaint or citation issued on or after
  the effective date of this Act. A fine in connection with a
  complaint or citation issued before the effective date of this Act
  is subject to the law in effect on the date the complaint or
  citation was issued, and that law is continued in effect for that
  purpose.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.
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