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.