| 8 | 3 | | |
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| 9 | 4 | | |
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| 10 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 11 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 12 | 7 | | relating to the registration of certain motor vehicles as farm or |
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| 13 | 8 | | ranch vehicles. |
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| 14 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 15 | 10 | | SECTION 1. The heading to Section 502.433, Transportation |
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| 16 | 11 | | Code, is amended to read as follows: |
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| 17 | 12 | | Sec. 502.433. FEE: COMMERCIAL FARM OR RANCH MOTOR VEHICLE. |
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| 18 | 13 | | SECTION 2. Sections 502.433(a) and (d), Transportation |
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| 19 | 14 | | Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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| 20 | 15 | | (a) The registration fee for a commercial motor vehicle as a |
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| 21 | 16 | | farm vehicle or ranch vehicle is 50 percent of the applicable fee |
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| 22 | 17 | | under Section 502.252 or 502.253, as applicable, if the vehicle's |
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| 23 | 18 | | owner will use the vehicle for commercial purposes only to |
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| 24 | 19 | | transport: |
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| 25 | 20 | | (1) the person's own poultry, dairy, livestock, |
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| 26 | 21 | | livestock products, timber in its natural state, or farm products |
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| 27 | 22 | | to market or another place for sale or processing; |
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| 28 | 23 | | (2) laborers from their place of residence to the |
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| 29 | 24 | | owner's farm or ranch; or |
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| 30 | 25 | | (3) without charge, materials, tools, equipment, or |
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| 31 | 26 | | supplies from the place of purchase or storage to the owner's farm |
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| 32 | 27 | | or ranch exclusively for the owner's use or for use on the farm or |
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| 33 | 28 | | ranch. |
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| 34 | 29 | | (d) The department shall provide separate distinguishing |
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| 35 | 30 | | license plates for farm and ranch vehicles [a vehicle] registered |
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| 36 | 31 | | under this section. The department shall provide a person who |
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| 37 | 32 | | registers a vehicle under this section the option of designating |
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| 38 | 33 | | the vehicle as a farm vehicle or a ranch vehicle. |
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| 39 | 34 | | SECTION 3. Section 545.413(e), Transportation Code, is |
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| 40 | 35 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 41 | 36 | | (e) It is a defense to prosecution under this section that: |
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| 42 | 37 | | (1) the person possesses a written statement from a |
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| 43 | 38 | | licensed physician stating that for a medical reason the person |
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| 44 | 39 | | should not wear a safety belt; |
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| 45 | 40 | | (2) the person presents to the court, not later than |
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| 46 | 41 | | the 10th day after the date of the offense, a statement from a |
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| 47 | 42 | | licensed physician stating that for a medical reason the person |
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| 48 | 43 | | should not wear a safety belt; |
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| 49 | 44 | | (3) the person is employed by the United States Postal |
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| 50 | 45 | | Service and performing a duty for that agency that requires the |
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| 51 | 46 | | operator to service postal boxes from a vehicle or that requires |
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| 52 | 47 | | frequent entry into and exit from a vehicle; |
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| 53 | 48 | | (4) the person is engaged in the actual delivery of |
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| 54 | 49 | | newspapers from a vehicle or is performing newspaper delivery |
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| 55 | 50 | | duties that require frequent entry into and exit from a vehicle; |
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| 56 | 51 | | (5) the person is employed by a public or private |
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| 57 | 52 | | utility company and is engaged in the reading of meters or |
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| 58 | 53 | | performing a similar duty for that company requiring the operator |
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| 59 | 54 | | to frequently enter into and exit from a vehicle; |
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| 60 | 55 | | (6) the person is operating a commercial vehicle |
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| 61 | 56 | | registered as a farm or ranch vehicle under the provisions of |
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| 62 | 57 | | Section 502.433 that does not have a gross weight, registered |
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| 63 | 58 | | weight, or gross weight rating of 48,000 pounds or more; or |
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| 64 | 59 | | (7) the person is the operator of or a passenger in a |
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| 65 | 60 | | vehicle used exclusively to transport solid waste and performing |
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| 66 | 61 | | duties that require frequent entry into and exit from the vehicle. |
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| 67 | 62 | | SECTION 4. Section 622.074, Transportation Code, is amended |
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| 68 | 63 | | to read as follows: |
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| 69 | 64 | | Sec. 622.074. NONAPPLICABILITY OF SUBCHAPTER. This |
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| 70 | 65 | | subchapter does not apply to: |
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| 71 | 66 | | (1) farm equipment used for a purpose other than |
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| 72 | 67 | | construction; |
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| 73 | 68 | | (2) special mobile equipment owned by a dealer or |
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| 74 | 69 | | distributor; |
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| 75 | 70 | | (3) a vehicle used to propel special mobile equipment |
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| 76 | 71 | | that is registered as a farm or ranch vehicle under Section 502.433; |
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| 77 | 72 | | or |
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| 78 | 73 | | (4) equipment while being used by a commercial hauler |
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| 79 | 74 | | to transport special mobile equipment under hire of a person who |
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| 80 | 75 | | derives $500 in gross receipts annually from a farming or ranching |
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| 81 | 76 | | enterprise. |
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| 82 | 77 | | SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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