| 1 | 1 | | H.B. No. 53 |
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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 exemption from registration fees of certain |
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| 6 | 6 | | vehicles used by nonprofit disaster relief organizations. |
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| 7 | 7 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 8 | 8 | | SECTION 1. Sections 502.454(a), (b), and (f), |
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| 9 | 9 | | Transportation Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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| 10 | 10 | | (a) The owner of a commercial motor vehicle, trailer, or |
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| 11 | 11 | | semitrailer may apply for registration under Section 502.451 and is |
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| 12 | 12 | | exempt from the payment of the registration fee that would |
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| 13 | 13 | | otherwise be required by this chapter if the vehicle is: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (1) owned [and used exclusively for emergencies] by a |
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| 15 | 15 | | nonprofit disaster relief organization; and |
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| 16 | 16 | | (2) used by the organization exclusively for |
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| 17 | 17 | | emergencies, training, equipment maintenance, transportation of |
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| 18 | 18 | | disaster relief supplies, or other activities related to disaster |
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| 19 | 19 | | relief. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (b) An application for registration under this section must |
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| 21 | 21 | | include: |
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| 22 | 22 | | (1) a statement by the owner of the vehicle that the |
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| 23 | 23 | | vehicle is used exclusively as described by Subsection (a) [for |
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| 24 | 24 | | emergencies] and has not been used for any other purpose; |
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| 25 | 25 | | (2) a statement signed by an officer of the nonprofit |
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| 26 | 26 | | disaster relief organization that the vehicle has [not] been used |
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| 27 | 27 | | exclusively as described by Subsection (a) [for any purpose other |
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| 28 | 28 | | than emergencies] and qualifies for registration under this |
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| 29 | 29 | | section; and |
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| 30 | 30 | | (3) a reasonable description of the vehicle and the |
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| 31 | 31 | | emergency equipment included in the vehicle. |
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| 32 | 32 | | (f) A vehicle registered under this section that is used |
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| 33 | 33 | | [for any purpose] other than as described by Subsection (a) [an |
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| 34 | 34 | | emergency] may not again be registered under this section. |
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| 35 | 35 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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| 36 | 36 | | ______________________________ ______________________________ |
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| 37 | 37 | | President of the Senate Speaker of the House |
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| 38 | 38 | | I certify that H.B. No. 53 was passed by the House on April |
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| 39 | 39 | | 14, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 144, Nays 0, 1 present, not |
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| 40 | 40 | | voting. |
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| 41 | 41 | | ______________________________ |
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| 42 | 42 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
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| 43 | 43 | | I certify that H.B. No. 53 was passed by the Senate on May 23, |
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| 44 | 44 | | 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. |
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| 45 | 45 | | ______________________________ |
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| 46 | 46 | | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 47 | 47 | | APPROVED: _____________________ |
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| 48 | 48 | | Date |
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| 49 | 49 | | _____________________ |
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| 50 | 50 | | Governor |
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