By: Watson S.B. No. 1759
(In the Senate - Filed March 11, 2009; March 20, 2009, read
first time and referred to Committee on Transportation and Homeland
Security; April 14, 2009, reported adversely, with favorable
Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0;
April 14, 2009, sent to printer.)
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1759 By: Watson
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the extended registration of a commercial fleet of
motor vehicles.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 502.001, Transportation Code, is amended
by adding Subdivision (1-a) to read as follows:
(1-a) "Commercial fleet" means a group of at least 25
nonapportioned motor vehicles owned by a corporation, limited or
general partnership, limited liability company, or other business
entity and used for the business purposes of that entity.
SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 502, Transportation Code,
is amended by adding Section 502.0023 to read as follows:
Sec. 502.0023. EXTENDED REGISTRATION OF COMMERCIAL FLEET
MOTOR VEHICLES. (a) Notwithstanding Section 502.158(c), the
department shall develop and implement a system of registration to
allow an owner of a commercial fleet to register the motor vehicles
in the commercial fleet for an extended registration period of not
less than one year or more than eight years. The owner may select
the number of years for registration under this section within that
range and register the commercial fleet for that period. Payment
for all registration fees for the entire registration period
selected is due at the time of registration.
(b) In addition to the registration fees prescribed by
Subchapter D, an owner registering a commercial fleet under this
section shall pay:
(1) an annual commercial fleet registration fee of $10
per motor vehicle in the fleet; and
(2) a one-time license plate manufacturing fee of
$1.50 for each fleet motor vehicle license plate.
(c) A license plate issued under this section:
(1) may, on request of the owner, include the name or
logo of the business entity that owns the vehicle;
(2) must include the expiration date of the
registration period; and
(3) does not require an annual registration insignia
to be valid.
(d) If a motor vehicle registered under this section has a
gross weight in excess of 10,000 pounds, the department shall also
issue a registration card for the vehicle that is valid for the
selected registration period.
(e) The department shall adopt rules to implement this
section, including rules on suspension from the commercial fleet
program for failure to comply with this section or rules adopted
under this section.
SECTION 3. Subsection (b), Section 501.0234,
Transportation Code, is amended to read as follows:
(b) This section does not apply to a motor vehicle:
(1) that has been declared a total loss by an insurance
company in the settlement or adjustment of a claim;
(2) for which the certificate of title has been
surrendered in exchange for:
(A) a salvage vehicle title issued under this
chapter;
(B) a nonrepairable vehicle title issued under
this chapter;
(C) a certificate of authority issued under
Subchapter D, Chapter 683; or
(D) an ownership document issued by another state
that is comparable to a document described by Paragraphs (A)-(C);
[or]
(3) with a gross weight in excess of 11,000 pounds; or
(4) purchased by a commercial fleet buyer who utilizes
the dealer title application process developed to provide a method
to submit title transactions to counties that have approved the
persons as full-service deputies under Section 502.114.
SECTION 4. The Texas Department of Transportation shall
adopt the rules and establish the system required under Section
502.0023, Transportation Code, as added by this Act, not later than
September 1, 2010.
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.
* * * * *