| 1 | 1 | | 84R616 JRR-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: RodrÃguez S.B. No. 658 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the exemption from vehicle registration for certain |
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| 8 | 8 | | farm vehicles owned by a farmers' cooperative society or marketing |
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| 9 | 9 | | association. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Section 502.146, Transportation Code, is amended |
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| 12 | 12 | | by adding Subsection (c-1) and amending Subsections (e) and (h) to |
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| 13 | 13 | | read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (c-1) An exemption provided by this section applies to a |
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| 15 | 15 | | vehicle owned by a farmers' cooperative society incorporated under |
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| 16 | 16 | | Chapter 51, Agriculture Code, or a marketing association organized |
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| 17 | 17 | | under Chapter 52, Agriculture Code, and used by members of the |
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| 18 | 18 | | society or association for a fee if the vehicle otherwise meets the |
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| 19 | 19 | | requirements for the exemption. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (e) Except as provided by Subsection (c-1), this [This] |
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| 21 | 21 | | section does not apply to a farm trailer or farm semitrailer that: |
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| 22 | 22 | | (1) is used for hire; |
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| 23 | 23 | | (2) has metal tires operating in contact with the |
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| 24 | 24 | | highway; |
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| 25 | 25 | | (3) is not equipped with an adequate hitch pinned or |
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| 26 | 26 | | locked so that it will remain securely engaged to the towing vehicle |
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| 27 | 27 | | while in motion; or |
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| 28 | 28 | | (4) is not operated and equipped in compliance with |
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| 29 | 29 | | all other law. |
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| 30 | 30 | | (h) A specialty license plate may not be issued under |
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| 31 | 31 | | Subsection (a) to an owner of a vehicle described by Subsection |
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| 32 | 32 | | (b)(1) unless the vehicle's owner provides a registration number |
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| 33 | 33 | | issued by the comptroller under Section 151.1551, Tax Code, or the |
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| 34 | 34 | | vehicle is owned by a farmers' cooperative society incorporated |
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| 35 | 35 | | under Chapter 51, Agriculture Code, or a marketing association |
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| 36 | 36 | | organized under Chapter 52, Agriculture Code. The comptroller |
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| 37 | 37 | | shall allow access to the online system established under Section |
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| 38 | 38 | | 151.1551(l), Tax Code, to verify a registration number provided |
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| 39 | 39 | | under this subsection. |
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| 40 | 40 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 41 | 41 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 42 | 42 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 43 | 43 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 44 | 44 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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