| 1 | 1 | | H.B. No. 1964 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | AN ACT |
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| 5 | 5 | | relating to the release of a motor vehicle accident report to an |
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| 6 | 6 | | employee or authorized representative of a vehicle storage |
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| 7 | 7 | | facility. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Section 550.065(c), Transportation Code, is |
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| 10 | 10 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | (c) On written request and payment of any required fee, the |
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| 12 | 12 | | department or the governmental entity shall release the information |
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| 13 | 13 | | to: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (1) an entity described by Subsection (b); |
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| 15 | 15 | | (2) the law enforcement agency that employs the peace |
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| 16 | 16 | | officer who investigated the accident and sent the information to |
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| 17 | 17 | | the department, including an agent of the law enforcement agency |
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| 18 | 18 | | authorized by contract to obtain the information; |
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| 19 | 19 | | (3) the court in which a case involving a person |
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| 20 | 20 | | involved in the accident is pending if the report is subpoenaed; or |
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| 21 | 21 | | (4) any person directly concerned in the accident or |
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| 22 | 22 | | having a proper interest therein, including: |
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| 23 | 23 | | (A) any person involved in the accident; |
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| 24 | 24 | | (B) the authorized representative of any person |
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| 25 | 25 | | involved in the accident; |
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| 26 | 26 | | (C) a driver involved in the accident; |
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| 27 | 27 | | (D) an employer, parent, or legal guardian of a |
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| 28 | 28 | | driver involved in the accident; |
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| 29 | 29 | | (E) the owner of a vehicle or property damaged in |
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| 30 | 30 | | the accident; |
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| 31 | 31 | | (F) a person who has established financial |
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| 32 | 32 | | responsibility for a vehicle involved in the accident in a manner |
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| 33 | 33 | | described by Section 601.051, including a policyholder of a motor |
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| 34 | 34 | | vehicle liability insurance policy covering the vehicle; |
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| 35 | 35 | | (G) an insurance company that issued an insurance |
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| 36 | 36 | | policy covering a vehicle involved in the accident; |
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| 37 | 37 | | (H) an insurance company that issued a policy |
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| 38 | 38 | | covering any person involved in the accident; |
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| 39 | 39 | | (I) a person under contract to provide claims or |
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| 40 | 40 | | underwriting information to a person described by Paragraph (F), |
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| 41 | 41 | | (G), or (H); |
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| 42 | 42 | | (J) a radio or television station that holds a |
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| 43 | 43 | | license issued by the Federal Communications Commission; |
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| 44 | 44 | | (K) a newspaper that is: |
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| 45 | 45 | | (i) a free newspaper of general circulation |
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| 46 | 46 | | or qualified under Section 2051.044, Government Code, to publish |
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| 47 | 47 | | legal notices; |
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| 48 | 48 | | (ii) published at least once a week; and |
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| 49 | 49 | | (iii) available and of interest to the |
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| 50 | 50 | | general public in connection with the dissemination of news; [or] |
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| 51 | 51 | | (L) any person who may sue because of death |
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| 52 | 52 | | resulting from the accident; or |
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| 53 | 53 | | (M) an employee or authorized representative of a |
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| 54 | 54 | | vehicle storage facility, as defined by Section 2303.002, |
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| 55 | 55 | | Occupations Code, that stored a vehicle involved in the accident. |
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| 56 | 56 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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| 57 | 57 | | ______________________________ ______________________________ |
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| 58 | 58 | | President of the Senate Speaker of the House |
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| 59 | 59 | | I certify that H.B. No. 1964 was passed by the House on April |
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| 60 | 60 | | 4, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 141, Nays 6, 2 present, not |
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| 61 | 61 | | voting. |
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| 62 | 62 | | ______________________________ |
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| 63 | 63 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
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| 64 | 64 | | I certify that H.B. No. 1964 was passed by the Senate on May |
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| 65 | 65 | | 17, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 1. |
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| 66 | 66 | | ______________________________ |
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| 67 | 67 | | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 68 | 68 | | APPROVED: _____________________ |
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| 69 | 69 | | Date |
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| 70 | 70 | | _____________________ |
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| 71 | 71 | | Governor |
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