H.B. No. 1523 AN ACT relating to the offense of transporting household goods without registration; providing a penalty. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Sections 643.253(b) and (e), Transportation Code, are amended to read as follows: (b) A person commits an offense if the person engages in or solicits the transportation of household goods for compensation and is not registered as required by Subchapter B. (e) An offense under Subsection (b) is a Class C misdemeanor, except that the offense is: (1) a Class B misdemeanor if the person has previously been convicted one time of an offense under Subsection (b); and (2) a Class A misdemeanor if the person has previously been convicted two or more times of an offense under Subsection (b) [punishable by a fine of not less than $200 or more than $1,000 per violation]. SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is covered by the law in effect when 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 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. ______________________________ ______________________________ President of the Senate Speaker of the House I certify that H.B. No. 1523 was passed by the House on April 26, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 147, Nays 0, 2 present, not voting. ______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House I certify that H.B. No. 1523 was passed by the Senate on May 24, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0 . ______________________________ Secretary of the Senate APPROVED: _____________________ Date _____________________ Governor