By: Geren (Senate Sponsor - Seliger) H.B. No. 804
(In the Senate - Received from the House April 27, 2015;
May 6, 2015, read first time and referred to Committee on Business
and Commerce; May 20, 2015, reported favorably by the following
vote: Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 20, 2015, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the forms of payment that the operator of a vehicle
storage facility must accept.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 2303.159, Occupations Code, is amended
by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as
follows:
(a) The operator of a vehicle storage facility shall accept
each of the following forms of payment [by an electronic check,
debit card, or credit card] for any charge associated with delivery
or storage of a vehicle:
(1) cash;
(2) debit card; and
(3) credit card.
(a-1) The operator of a vehicle storage facility shall
conspicuously post a sign that states: "This vehicle storage
facility must accept payment by cash, [an electronic check,] credit
card, and [or] debit card for any fee or charge associated with
delivery or storage of a vehicle." The operator of a vehicle
storage facility may not refuse to release a vehicle based on the
inability of the facility to accept payment by [electronic check,]
debit card[,] or credit card of a fee or charge associated with
delivery or storage of the vehicle unless the operator, through no
fault of the operator, is unable to accept the [electronic check,]
debit card[,] or credit card because of a power outage or a machine
malfunction.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
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