Passed 84th Regular Session:
Specialty License Plates
- SB 742 Relating to the issuance of Texas Medical Center specialty license plates.
Synopsis: S.B. 742 amends the Transportation Code to require the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) to issue Texas Medical Center specialty license plates designed in consultation with the Texas Medical Center. The bill requires the portion of the fee for issuance of the license plates that remains after deduction of TxDMV’s administrative costs to be deposited to the credit of an account in a trust fund created by the comptroller of public accounts outside the general revenue fund. The bill restricts the use of money deposited to that account to use by the comptroller to provide grants benefiting the Texas Medical Center and member institutions of the Texas Medical Center.
- SB 1987 Relating to specialty license plates for people with a hearing impairment
Synopsis: S.B. 1987 amends the Transportation Code to require the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to design and issue specialty license plates for a motor vehicle that is regularly operated by a person who is deaf or hard of hearing. The bill requires such a specialty license plate to include an emblem indicating that the person operating the vehicle is deaf or hard of hearing and establishes an $8 fee for a set of the specialty license plates. The bill requires the initial application for the specialty license plates to be accompanied by a written statement from a physician who is licensed to practice medicine in Texas or in a state adjacent to Texas or who is authorized by applicable law to practice medicine in a hospital or other health facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs and requires the statement to certify that the person making the application is deaf or hard of hearing.
S.B. 1987 amends the Occupations Code to require the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE), as part of the minimum curriculum requirements for law enforcement training programs and schools, to establish not later than March 1, 2016, a statewide comprehensive education and training program on procedures for interacting with drivers who are deaf or hard of hearing, including identifying specialty license plates issued to individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. The bill requires an officer to complete the program not later than the second anniversary of the date the officer is licensed by TCOLE or the date the officer applies for an intermediate proficiency certificate, whichever date is earlier.
- HB 315 Relating to the issuance of “In God We Trust” specialty license plates.
Synopsis: H.B. 315 amends the Transportation Code to require the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue specialty license plates that include the words “In God We Trust.” The bill specifies that the fee for the new specialty license plate, after deduction of DMV administrative costs, is to be deposited to the General Revenue Fund and may only be appropriated to the Texas Veterans Commission. The bill takes effect on January 1, 2016.
- HB 789 Relating to license plates issued to retired members of the military.
Synopsis: HB 789 requires the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to issue specialty license plates for retired members of the United States armed forces, Texas National Guard, and Texas State Guard regardless of how long they had served. A retired armed forces member could establish eligibility by producing an identification card indicating that the member was retired and issued by any military branch under the U.S. Department of Defense or Department of Homeland Security.
A retired member of the Texas National Guard or the Texas State Guard also could establish eligibility by producing an identification card indicating that the member was retired and issued by the Department of Defense, Department of the Army, or Department of the Air Force. This bill takes effect September 1, 2015.
- HB 792 Relating to the issuance of specialty license plates for antique buses.
Synopsis: H.B. 792 amends the Transportation Code to expand the types of exhibition vehicles for which the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles is required to issue specialty license plates to include a bus that is at least 25 years old; is a collector’s item; is used exclusively for exhibitions, club activities, parades, and other functions of public interest and is not used for regular transportation; and does not carry advertising. The bill requires the license plates for such a bus to include the words “Antique Bus.”
- HB 830 Relating to the issuance of the Alamo specialty license plates.
Synopsis: H.B. 830 amends the Transportation Code to require the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) to issue specialty license plates that include the image of the Alamo and the word “Remember” at the bottom of each plate. The bill requires the remainder of the fee for issuance of the license plates, after deduction of TxDMV’s administrative costs, to be deposited to the credit of an account in a trust fund outside the general revenue fund created by the comptroller of public accounts of the State of Texas. The bill requires the Texas General Land Office to use 75 percent of the money deposited to the account for the preservation of the Alamo and the remaining 25 percent of the money to enhance the Alamo visitor experience or to fund education programs about the Alamo.
- HB 1128 Relating to the issuance of Combat Action Badge specialty license plates.
Synopsis: H.B. 1128 amends the Transportation Code to require the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) to issue specialty license plates for recipients of the Combat Action Badge, the Combat Action Medal, and the Combat Action Ribbon. The bill requires the license plates to include the Combat Action Badge Combat Infantryman emblem, the Combat Action Medal emblem, or the Combat Action Ribbon emblem, as applicable, and to include the words “Combat Action Badge,” “Combat Action Medal,” or “Combat Action Ribbon,” as applicable, at the bottom of each plate. The bill includes those emblems among the emblems that a person entitled to specialty license plates for veterans with disabilities may request for inclusion on the person’s license plates. The bill requires TxDMV, if a branch of the U.S. armed forces awards a Combat Action Badge or Ribbon with a unique emblem for each award of the Combat Action Badge or Ribbon to a recipient, to only issue specialty license plates that include the unique emblem of the first award.
- HB 1273 Relating to certain military specialty license plates.
Synopsis: H.B. 1273 awards specialty license plates for individuals’ service in Korea, the Republic of Vietnam, and in a support of Operation Desert Shield, Desert Storm, and Provide Comfort. There was a lack of clarity in the eligibility requirements for the issuance of specialty license plates to certain veterans. Current law uses dates of service for Korean War veterans, Vietnam veterans, and Desert Shield and Desert Storm veterans to establish eligibility. H.B. 1273 seeks to reduce the confusion surrounding this issue and to assure that specialty license plates are awarded to qualified veterans by using Department of Defense Manual 1348. This manual describes the various Defense awards and the basis and eligibility requirements for the award.
- HB 1364 Relating to the issuance of specialty license plates to honor recipients of the Defense Meritorious Service Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal.
Synopsis: The bill amends Transportation Code, Section 504.315, requiring the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to issue military specialty license plates for recipients of the Defense Meritorious Service Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal. The bill requires the DMV to design and issue two new military specialty license plates and two Disabled Veteran versions of each plate to depict the emblem of the military award for each plate established by the bill. Based on the information provided by the DMV, it is assumed any costs or duties associated with implementing the provisions of the bill could be absorbed within existing resources. There would be no additional fee for issuance of the new military specialty plates.
- HB 1702 Relating to the elimination of the fee for the Gold Star mother, father, spouse, or family member specialty license plate.
Synopsis: H.B. 1702 repeals Section 504.512(b), Transportation Code, which sets the fee for the issuance of the Gold Star Mother, Gold Star Father, Gold Star Spouse, or Gold Star Family specialty license plate at $10. There is no longer a fee and this Act takes effect January 1, 2016.
- HB 3610 Relating to the issuance of Texas Juneteenth specialty license plates.
Synopsis: H.B. 3610 amends the Transportation Code to require the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) to issue Texas Juneteenth specialty license plates designed in consultation with Unity Unlimited, Inc. The bill requires the remainder of the fee for issuance of the license plates, after deduction of TxDMV’s administrative costs, to be deposited to the credit of the general revenue fund to be used only by the Texas Historical Commission in making grants to Unity Unlimited, Inc., for the purpose of promoting the celebration of Juneteenth in Texas as long as Unity Unlimited, Inc., provides verification to the commission that the organization continues to maintain active nonprofit status with the comptroller of public accounts. The bill requires the grants, if Unity Unlimited, Inc., does not have active status at the time of the distribution of any grants, to be distributed to nonprofit organizations for the purpose of promoting the celebration of Juneteenth in Texas.
- HB 4099 Relating to the issuance of K9s4Cops specialty license plates.
Synopsis: H.B. 4099 amends the Transportation Code to require the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to issue K9s4COPs specialty license plates to be designed in consultation with K9s4COPs. The bill requires the remainder of the fee for issuance of the license plates, after deduction of TxDMV’s administrative costs, to be deposited to the credit of the general revenue fund to be used only by the Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas in making grants to nonprofit organizations for the purpose of funding the purchase of police dogs by law enforcement agencies.
Insurance
- HB 1733 Relating to automobile liability insurance for drivers providing transportation network services.
Synopsis: CSHB 1733 amends the Insurance Code to include provisions related to insurance for transportation network company (TNC) drivers. “Transportation Network Company” is defined as a corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, or other entity operating in this state that uses a digital network to connect a TNC rider to a TNC driver for a prearranged ride. The bill specifies requirements for drivers while they are available to or driving for TNCs, provisions in the event coverage lapsed, the relationship between a TNC and a driver, and provisions for insurance companies that do business with TNC drivers.
Registration Legislation
- SB 272 Relating to making a voluntary contribution to the Special Olympics Texas fund when registering a motor vehicle or renewing a motor vehicle registration.
Synopsis: Senate Bill 272 amends the Transportation Code to authorize a person to make a voluntary contribution to the Special Olympics Texas fund when registering a motor vehicle or renewing a motor vehicle registration. The bill sets out related duties of a county assessor‑collector, the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, and the Department of Aging and Disability Services.
- SB 1451 Relating to the disputed payment by a credit card or debit card of a vehicle registration fee.
Synopsis: Senate Bill 1451 amends the Transportation Code Section 502.193 which establishes a procedure for revoking registration from individuals who provided failed written payment. It does not apply to disputed credit card payments, so if the credit or debit card payment used to pay the registration fee is disputed there is no procedure in place for revoking registration. S.B. 1451 addresses the issue of a disputed credit or debit card payment for a registration fee by establishing a procedure for disputed credit or debit card payments similar to the procedure already in place for failed written payments. S.B. 1451 amends current law relating to the disputed payment by a credit card or debit card of a vehicle registration fee.
- SB 1512 Relating to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles fund.
Synopsis: SB 1512 re-creates the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles fund as a special fund in the state treasury outside the general revenue fund to support the operations and duties of Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. The fund is supported under the terms established by HB 2202 by Pickett, enacted by the 83rd Legislature, and all revenue dedicated for deposit to the credit of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles fund by that bill would be rededicated for that purpose by CSSB 1512.
- HB 735 Relating to the collection of information regarding the number of alternatively fueled vehicles registered in this state.
Synopsis: The bill amends the Transportation Code to require the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) by rule to establish a program to collect information about the number of alternatively fueled vehicles registered in the state. The bill also requires the DMV to submit to the Legislature an annual report on the number of registered alternatively fueled vehicles by fuel type.
- HB 833 Relating to certain holders of motor home manufacturer’s and dealer’s licenses.
Synopsis: House Bill 833 amends the Occupations Code to authorize a person who on June 7, 1995, held both a motor home manufacturer’s license and a motor home dealer’s license to hold a motor home manufacturer’s license, a dealer general distinguishing number issued by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, and not more than two franchised dealer’s licenses for purposes of the authority to operate as both a manufacturer and dealer of motor homes.
- HB 1360 Relating to the exemption of certain vehicles from registration fees.
House Bill 1360 amends the Transportation Code to exempt certain U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary vehicles from vehicle registration fees.
- HB 2115 Relating to the initial inspection period for motor vehicles purchased by certain commercial fleet buyers.
HB 2115 would extend the initial two-year inspection period to include passenger cars and light trucks purchased for use in this state by a commercial fleet buyer, as described by Transportation Code, sec. 501.0234(b)(4). The vehicle would not have to be sold in the state, but as required in current law for the two-year inspection period, the vehicle could not have been previously registered in a state and would have to have a model year that was the date of sale or the preceding year.