84R18885 AAF-D
By: Giddings H.B. No. 473
Substitute the following for H.B. No. 473:
By: Phillips C.S.H.B. No. 473
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relat
ing to a prohibition on the sale or transfer of certain law
enforcement vehicles before removal of certain equipment and
insignia.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 2175, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 2175.908 to read as follows:
Sec. 2175.908. SALE OR TRANSFER OF LAW ENFORCEMENT VEHICLE.
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), the commission or another
state agency, including an agency delegated the authority to
dispose of surplus or salvage property under Section 2175.065, may
not sell or transfer a marked patrol car or other law enforcement
motor vehicle to the public unless the state agency first removes
any equipment or insignia that could mislead a reasonable person to
believe that the vehicle is a law enforcement motor vehicle,
including any police light, siren, amber warning light, spotlight,
grill light, antenna, emblem, outline of an emblem, and emergency
vehicle equipment.
(b) The commission or another state agency, including an
agency delegated the authority to dispose of surplus or salvage
property under Section 2175.065, may not sell or transfer a marked
patrol car or other law enforcement motor vehicle to a security
services contractor who is regulated by the Department of Public
Safety and licensed under Chapter 1702, Occupations Code, unless
each emblem or insignia that identifies the vehicle as a law
enforcement motor vehicle is removed before the sale or transfer.
SECTION 2. Subchapter Z, Chapter 341, Local Government
Code, is amended by adding Section 341.9045 to read as follows:
Sec. 341.9045. SALE OR TRANSFER OF LAW ENFORCEMENT VEHICLE.
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a municipality may not
sell or transfer a marked patrol car or other municipal law
enforcement motor vehicle to the public unless the municipality
first removes any equipment or insignia that could mislead a
reasonable person to believe that the vehicle is a law enforcement
motor vehicle, including any police light, siren, amber warning
light, spotlight, grill light, antenna, emblem, outline of an
emblem, and emergency vehicle equipment.
(b) A municipality may not sell or transfer a marked patrol
car or other municipal law enforcement motor vehicle to a security
services contractor who is regulated by the Department of Public
Safety and licensed under Chapter 1702, Occupations Code, unless
each emblem or insignia that identifies the vehicle as a law
enforcement motor vehicle is removed before the sale or transfer.
SECTION 3. Subchapter Z, Chapter 351, Local Government
Code, is amended by adding Section 351.905 to read as follows:
Sec. 351.905. SALE OR TRANSFER OF LAW ENFORCEMENT VEHICLE.
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a county may not sell or
transfer a marked patrol car or other county law enforcement motor
vehicle to the public unless the county first removes any equipment
or insignia that could mislead a reasonable person to believe that
the vehicle is a law enforcement motor vehicle, including any
police light, siren, amber warning light, spotlight, grill light,
antenna, emblem, outline of an emblem, and emergency vehicle
equipment.
(b) A county may not sell or transfer a marked patrol car or
other county law enforcement motor vehicle to a security services
contractor who is regulated by the Department of Public Safety and
licensed under Chapter 1702, Occupations Code, unless each emblem
or insignia that identifies the vehicle as a law enforcement motor
vehicle is removed before the sale or transfer.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.