84R8382 AAF-F
By: Isaac H.B. No. 1360
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the exemption of certain vehicles from registration
fees.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 502.453, Transportation Code, is amended
to read as follows:
Sec. 502.453. GOVERNMENT-OWNED VEHICLES; PUBLIC SCHOOL
BUSES; FIRE-FIGHTING VEHICLES; COUNTY MARINE LAW ENFORCEMENT
VEHICLES; U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY VEHICLES. (a) The owner of a
motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer may annually apply for
registration under Section 502.451 and is exempt from the payment
of a registration fee under this chapter if the vehicle is:
(1) owned by and used exclusively in the service of:
(A) the United States;
(B) this state; or
(C) a county, municipality, or school district in
this state;
(2) owned by a commercial transportation company and
used exclusively to provide public school transportation services
to a school district under Section 34.008, Education Code;
(3) designed and used exclusively for fire fighting;
(4) owned by a volunteer fire department and used
exclusively in the conduct of department business;
(5) privately owned and used by a volunteer
exclusively in county marine law enforcement activities, including
rescue operations, under the direction of the sheriff's department;
[or]
(6) used by law enforcement under an alias for covert
criminal investigations; or
(7) owned by units of the United States Coast Guard
Auxiliary headquartered in Texas and used exclusively for conduct
of United States Coast Guard or Coast Guard Auxiliary business and
operations, including search and rescue, emergency communications,
and disaster operations.
(b) An application for registration under this section must
be made by a person having the authority to certify that the vehicle
meets the exemption requirements prescribed by Subsection (a). An
application for registration under this section of a fire-fighting
vehicle described by Subsection (a)(3) must include a reasonable
description of the vehicle and of any fire-fighting equipment
mounted on the vehicle. An application for registration under this
section of a vehicle described by Subsection (a)(5) must include a
statement signed by a person having the authority to act for a
sheriff's department that the vehicle is used exclusively in marine
law enforcement activities under the direction of the sheriff's
department. An application for registration under this section of
a vehicle described by Subsection (a)(7) must include a statement
signed by a person having authority to act for the United States
Coast Guard Auxiliary that the vehicle or trailer is used
exclusively in fulfillment of an authorized mission of the United
States Coast Guard or Coast Guard Auxiliary, including search and
rescue, patrol, emergency communications, or disaster operations.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2015.