| 1 | 1 | | 88R23574 BEE-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Metcalf H.B. No. 1222 |
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| 3 | 3 | | Substitute the following for H.B. No. 1222: |
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| 4 | 4 | | By: Canales C.S.H.B. No. 1222 |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to a study on authorizing a passenger car or light truck to |
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| 10 | 10 | | be operated with only a rear license plate. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. STUDY. (a) The Texas Department of Motor |
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| 13 | 13 | | Vehicles and the Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas |
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| 14 | 14 | | shall jointly conduct a study on the feasibility, cost, and effect |
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| 15 | 15 | | on law enforcement of authorizing a passenger car or light truck to |
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| 16 | 16 | | be operated with a rear license plate and a windshield sticker |
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| 17 | 17 | | instead of a front and rear license plate. |
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| 18 | 18 | | (b) The study must evaluate a license plate and windshield |
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| 19 | 19 | | sticker system under which: |
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| 20 | 20 | | (1) the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles would: |
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| 21 | 21 | | (A) issue a set of two license plates to an |
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| 22 | 22 | | applicant for registration of a passenger car or light truck; and |
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| 23 | 23 | | (B) adopt rules to: |
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| 24 | 24 | | (i) authorize a passenger car or light |
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| 25 | 25 | | truck to display only a rear license plate if the motor vehicle is |
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| 26 | 26 | | not equipped by the manufacturer with an exterior front feature to |
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| 27 | 27 | | which a license plate may be fastened without drilling through the |
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| 28 | 28 | | exterior of the vehicle; |
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| 29 | 29 | | (ii) require a vehicle that displays only a |
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| 30 | 30 | | rear license plate under Subparagraph (i) to display a windshield |
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| 31 | 31 | | sticker; |
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| 32 | 32 | | (iii) prescribe the manner and form of an |
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| 33 | 33 | | application for a windshield sticker; |
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| 34 | 34 | | (iv) establish a reasonable fee for a |
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| 35 | 35 | | windshield sticker; |
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| 36 | 36 | | (v) determine the information and |
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| 37 | 37 | | documentation required to demonstrate eligibility for a windshield |
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| 38 | 38 | | sticker; and |
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| 39 | 39 | | (vi) prescribe the form of the windshield |
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| 40 | 40 | | sticker and the manner in which the sticker must be displayed; |
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| 41 | 41 | | (2) a person commits an offense that is a Class C |
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| 42 | 42 | | misdemeanor if the person operates a passenger car or light truck |
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| 43 | 43 | | that displays a windshield sticker and only a rear license plate |
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| 44 | 44 | | and: |
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| 45 | 45 | | (A) the unmounted license plate issued for the |
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| 46 | 46 | | vehicle is not in the vehicle; or |
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| 47 | 47 | | (B) the person fails to produce for inspection, |
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| 48 | 48 | | on the request of a peace officer, the unmounted license plate |
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| 49 | 49 | | issued for the vehicle; |
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| 50 | 50 | | (3) a peace officer may not stop a passenger car or |
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| 51 | 51 | | light truck that displays a windshield sticker and only a rear |
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| 52 | 52 | | license plate solely to enforce the requirements that the unmounted |
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| 53 | 53 | | license plate issued for the vehicle be in the vehicle and produced |
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| 54 | 54 | | at the request of the officer; and |
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| 55 | 55 | | (4) a person commits an offense if the person operates |
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| 56 | 56 | | on a public highway, during a registration period, a vehicle that |
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| 57 | 57 | | does not display all license plates and any windshield sticker |
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| 58 | 58 | | required to be displayed on the vehicle. |
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| 59 | 59 | | SECTION 2. REPORT. Not later than October 1, 2024, the |
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| 60 | 60 | | Texas Department of Motor Vehicles and the Department of Public |
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| 61 | 61 | | Safety of the State of Texas shall jointly submit to the legislature |
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| 62 | 62 | | a report of the results of the study conducted under this Act. |
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| 63 | 63 | | SECTION 3. EXPIRATION DATE. This Act expires September 1, |
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| 64 | 64 | | 2025. |
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| 65 | 65 | | SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September |
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| 66 | 66 | | 1, 2023. |
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