BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 1959 By: Thompson, Senfronia Transportation Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Interested parties contend that the current procedure for commercial fleet vehicle registration and management is not only cumbersome and outdated but often expensive for fleet owners, local governments, and law enforcement. H.B. 1959 seeks to address this issue by requiring the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to conduct a study that identifies and assesses alternative procedures for commercial vehicle registration, licensing, and permitting in Texas. CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS H.B. 1959 amends the Transportation Code to require the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) to conduct a study that identifies and assesses alternative technologies for registering commercial motor vehicles to replace license plates, permits, and other existing documentation and registration methods currently in use in Texas and that evaluates the safety and suitability for use on roadways of the technologies identified. The bill requires TxDMV to submit a report on the results of the study to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the chair of the standing committee of each house of the legislature with primary jurisdiction over transportation issues not later than December 21, 2018. The bill authorizes TxDMV to collaborate with another state agency or a research division of an institution of higher education in Texas to conduct the study. The bill's provisions expire January 1, 2019. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2017.
BILL ANALYSIS
# BILL ANALYSIS
H.B. 1959
By: Thompson, Senfronia
Transportation
Committee Report (Unamended)
H.B. 1959
By: Thompson, Senfronia
Transportation
Committee Report (Unamended)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Interested parties contend that the current procedure for commercial fleet vehicle registration and management is not only cumbersome and outdated but often expensive for fleet owners, local governments, and law enforcement. H.B. 1959 seeks to address this issue by requiring the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to conduct a study that identifies and assesses alternative procedures for commercial vehicle registration, licensing, and permitting in Texas.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS H.B. 1959 amends the Transportation Code to require the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) to conduct a study that identifies and assesses alternative technologies for registering commercial motor vehicles to replace license plates, permits, and other existing documentation and registration methods currently in use in Texas and that evaluates the safety and suitability for use on roadways of the technologies identified. The bill requires TxDMV to submit a report on the results of the study to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the chair of the standing committee of each house of the legislature with primary jurisdiction over transportation issues not later than December 21, 2018. The bill authorizes TxDMV to collaborate with another state agency or a research division of an institution of higher education in Texas to conduct the study. The bill's provisions expire January 1, 2019.
EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2017.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Interested parties contend that the current procedure for commercial fleet vehicle registration and management is not only cumbersome and outdated but often expensive for fleet owners, local governments, and law enforcement. H.B. 1959 seeks to address this issue by requiring the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to conduct a study that identifies and assesses alternative procedures for commercial vehicle registration, licensing, and permitting in Texas.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
H.B. 1959 amends the Transportation Code to require the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) to conduct a study that identifies and assesses alternative technologies for registering commercial motor vehicles to replace license plates, permits, and other existing documentation and registration methods currently in use in Texas and that evaluates the safety and suitability for use on roadways of the technologies identified. The bill requires TxDMV to submit a report on the results of the study to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the chair of the standing committee of each house of the legislature with primary jurisdiction over transportation issues not later than December 21, 2018. The bill authorizes TxDMV to collaborate with another state agency or a research division of an institution of higher education in Texas to conduct the study. The bill's provisions expire January 1, 2019.
EFFECTIVE DATE
On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2017.