| 6 | 4 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 7 | 5 | | relating to the disputed payment by a credit card or debit card of a |
|---|
| 8 | 6 | | vehicle registration fee. |
|---|
| 9 | 7 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 10 | 8 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 502, Transportation Code, |
|---|
| 11 | 9 | | is amended by adding Section 502.1931 to read as follows: |
|---|
| 12 | 10 | | Sec. 502.1931. DISPUTED PAYMENT BY CREDIT CARD OR DEBIT |
|---|
| 13 | 11 | | CARD. (a) A county assessor-collector who receives from any |
|---|
| 14 | 12 | | person a payment by credit card or debit card for a registration fee |
|---|
| 15 | 13 | | for a registration year that has not ended that is returned unpaid |
|---|
| 16 | 14 | | because the payment by the credit card or debit card has been |
|---|
| 17 | 15 | | disputed by the credit card or debit card company shall certify the |
|---|
| 18 | 16 | | fact to the sheriff or a constable or highway patrol officer in the |
|---|
| 19 | 17 | | county after attempts to contact the person fail to result in the |
|---|
| 20 | 18 | | collection of payment. The certification must be made before the |
|---|
| 21 | 19 | | 30th day after the date the assessor-collector is made aware that |
|---|
| 22 | 20 | | the credit card or debit card payment has been disputed and: |
|---|
| 23 | 21 | | (1) be under the assessor-collector's official seal; |
|---|
| 24 | 22 | | (2) include the name and address of the person who |
|---|
| 25 | 23 | | authorized the credit card or debit card payment; |
|---|
| 26 | 24 | | (3) include the license plate number and make of the |
|---|
| 27 | 25 | | vehicle; |
|---|
| 28 | 26 | | (4) be accompanied by evidence from the credit card or |
|---|
| 29 | 27 | | debit card company that the company has determined that it will not |
|---|
| 30 | 28 | | make payment on the disputed credit card or debit card charge; and |
|---|
| 31 | 29 | | (5) be accompanied by documentation of any attempt to |
|---|
| 32 | 30 | | contact the person and collect payment. |
|---|
| 33 | 31 | | (b) On receiving a complaint under Subsection (a) from the |
|---|
| 34 | 32 | | county assessor-collector, the sheriff, constable, or highway |
|---|
| 35 | 33 | | patrol officer shall find the person who authorized the credit card |
|---|
| 36 | 34 | | or debit card payment, if the person is in the county, and demand |
|---|
| 37 | 35 | | immediate redemption of payment from the person. If the person |
|---|
| 38 | 36 | | fails or refuses to redeem the payment, the sheriff, constable, or |
|---|
| 39 | 37 | | highway patrol officer shall: |
|---|
| 40 | 38 | | (1) seize and remove the license plates and |
|---|
| 41 | 39 | | registration insignia from the vehicle; and |
|---|
| 42 | 40 | | (2) return the license plates and registration |
|---|
| 43 | 41 | | insignia to the assessor-collector. |
|---|
| 44 | 42 | | SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
|---|
| 45 | 43 | | to a payment of a registration fee submitted to a county |
|---|
| 46 | 44 | | assessor-collector on or after the effective date of this Act. A |
|---|
| 47 | 45 | | payment submitted before the effective date of this Act is governed |
|---|
| 48 | 46 | | by the law in effect on the date the payment was submitted, and the |
|---|
| 49 | 47 | | former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
|---|
| 50 | 48 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
|---|
| 49 | + | ______________________________ ______________________________ |
|---|
| 50 | + | President of the Senate Speaker of the House |
|---|
| 51 | + | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1451 passed the Senate on |
|---|
| 52 | + | April 15, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. |
|---|
| 53 | + | ______________________________ |
|---|
| 54 | + | Secretary of the Senate |
|---|
| 55 | + | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1451 passed the House on |
|---|
| 56 | + | May 12, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 138, Nays 6, two |
|---|
| 57 | + | present not voting. |
|---|
| 58 | + | ______________________________ |
|---|
| 59 | + | Chief Clerk of the House |
|---|
| 60 | + | Approved: |
|---|
| 61 | + | ______________________________ |
|---|
| 62 | + | Date |
|---|
| 63 | + | ______________________________ |
|---|
| 64 | + | Governor |
|---|