| 1 | 1 | | 88R938 BEE-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Wu H.B. No. 497 |
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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 display of a license plate only on the rear of a |
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| 8 | 8 | | motor vehicle; authorizing a fee. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 504.010, Transportation Code, is amended |
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| 11 | 11 | | by adding Subsections (d) and (e) to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (d) Rules adopted under Subsection (c) must: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (1) authorize a motor vehicle to display only a rear |
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| 14 | 14 | | license plate if the applicant for the vehicle's registration pays |
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| 15 | 15 | | to the department an annual fee of $50; and |
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| 16 | 16 | | (2) require a motor vehicle that displays only a rear |
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| 17 | 17 | | license plate as authorized by Subdivision (1) to display on the |
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| 18 | 18 | | vehicle's windshield a distinctive insignia issued by the |
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| 19 | 19 | | department for validation of that authorization. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (e) The department shall deposit a fee collected under |
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| 21 | 21 | | Subsection (d) to the credit of the state highway fund. |
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| 22 | 22 | | SECTION 2. Sections 504.943(a) and (d), Transportation |
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| 23 | 23 | | Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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| 24 | 24 | | (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a person commits |
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| 25 | 25 | | an offense if the person operates on a public highway, during a |
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| 26 | 26 | | registration period, a motor vehicle that does not: |
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| 27 | 27 | | (1) display two license plates that: |
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| 28 | 28 | | (A) [(1)] have been assigned by the department |
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| 29 | 29 | | for the period; and |
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| 30 | 30 | | (B) [(2)] comply with department rules regarding |
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| 31 | 31 | | the placement of license plates; or |
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| 32 | 32 | | (2) display: |
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| 33 | 33 | | (A) a rear license plate that: |
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| 34 | 34 | | (i) has been assigned by the department for |
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| 35 | 35 | | the period; and |
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| 36 | 36 | | (ii) complies with department rules |
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| 37 | 37 | | regarding the placement of a rear license plate; and |
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| 38 | 38 | | (B) a windshield insignia described by Section |
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| 39 | 39 | | 504.010(d) that complies with department rules. |
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| 40 | 40 | | (d) A court may dismiss a charge brought under Subsection |
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| 41 | 41 | | (a)(1)(A), (a)(2)(A)(i), or (a)(2)(B) [(a)(1)] if the defendant: |
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| 42 | 42 | | (1) remedies the defect before the defendant's first |
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| 43 | 43 | | court appearance; and |
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| 44 | 44 | | (2) pays a reimbursement fee not to exceed $10. |
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| 45 | 45 | | SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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| 46 | 46 | | to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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| 47 | 47 | | An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is |
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| 48 | 48 | | governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed, |
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| 49 | 49 | | and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For |
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| 50 | 50 | | purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the |
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| 51 | 51 | | effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred |
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| 52 | 52 | | before that date. |
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| 53 | 53 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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