BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center S.B. 2705 89R8975 CXP-D By: Hagenbuch Transportation 4/10/2025 As Filed AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT S.B. 2705 ensures that farm trailers less than 4,000 pounds, farm tractors, and implements of husbandry are clearly exempt from registration requirements. The statute that made the exemption explicit was inadvertently repealed several sessions ago. This bill would make the long-standing exemption clear in statute. The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles board recommended this amendment in past legislative sessions and it was included in S.B. 1182 from last session. S.B. 2705 codifies a few fee exemptions for license plates. All these were also in S.B. 1182, 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023. - Legion of Merit license plates (Section 504.316) have always gotten a first set without paying registration fees. This matches the treatment of similar types of military-related license plates. However, the statute needs clarification under Section 504.3015 regarding the fee exemption. - License plates in Section 504.512 (Gold Star), Section 504.513 (Firefighter), and Section 504.516 (rental & travel trailer) are all issued with no plate fee. The other license plates in the subchapter are expressly stated to have no fee for issuance. These changes would provide clarity and consistency. Also in Section 504.513, the name of the plate is changed to Firefighter to match current terminology. As proposed, S.B. 2705 amends current law relating to fees for the issuance of certain specialty license plates and an exemption from vehicle registration for certain trailers, semitrailers, tractors, and implements of husbandry. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter D, Chapter 502, Transportation Code, by adding Section 502.147, as follows: Sec. 502.147. CERTAIN FARM TRAILERS, FARM SEMITRAILERS, FARM TRACTORS, AND IMPLEMENTS OF HUSBANDRY. Provides that an owner is not required to register a farm trailer or farm semitrailer with a gross weight of 4,000 pounds or less or a farm tractor or an implement of husbandry if the trailer, semitrailer, tractor, or implement is operated only temporarily on the highways. SECTION 2. Amends Section 504.3015(a), Transportation Code, as follows: (a) Requires a person applying for a set of license plates under Subchapter D (Specialty License Plates for the Military) to pay the registration fee required under Chapter 502 (Registration of Vehicles) and the applicable special plate fee required under Section 504.3015 (Fees for Military Specialty License Plates), except that one set of license plates is required to be issued without the payment of the registration fee under certain provisions, including Section 504.316 (Legion of Merit Medal Recipients). Makes nonsubstantive changes. SECTION 3. Amends Section 504.512, Transportation Code, by adding Subsection (b) to provide that there is no fee for the issuance of specialty license plates issued for the mother, father, or surviving spouse or an immediate family member of a person who died while serving in the United States armed forces. SECTION 4. Amends Section 504.513, Transportation Code, by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (c), as follows: (a) Requires the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to issue specialty license plates for certain fire protection personnel, including volunteer firefighters certified by certain groups, including the State Firefighters', rather than Firemen's, and Fire Marshals' Association of Texas. (c) Provides that there is no fee for issuance of the license plates. SECTION 5. Amends Section 504.516, Transportation Code, by adding Subsection (c) to provide that there is no fee for the issuance of license plates specially designed for rental trailers and travel trailers. SECTION 6. Effective date: September 1, 2025.
BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 2705
89R8975 CXP-D By: Hagenbuch
Transportation
4/10/2025
As Filed
Senate Research Center
S.B. 2705
89R8975 CXP-D
By: Hagenbuch
Transportation
4/10/2025
As Filed
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
S.B. 2705 ensures that farm trailers less than 4,000 pounds, farm tractors, and implements of husbandry are clearly exempt from registration requirements. The statute that made the exemption explicit was inadvertently repealed several sessions ago. This bill would make the long-standing exemption clear in statute. The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles board recommended this amendment in past legislative sessions and it was included in S.B. 1182 from last session.
S.B. 2705 codifies a few fee exemptions for license plates. All these were also in S.B. 1182, 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023.
- Legion of Merit license plates (Section 504.316) have always gotten a first set without paying registration fees. This matches the treatment of similar types of military-related license plates. However, the statute needs clarification under Section 504.3015 regarding the fee exemption.
- License plates in Section 504.512 (Gold Star), Section 504.513 (Firefighter), and Section 504.516 (rental & travel trailer) are all issued with no plate fee. The other license plates in the subchapter are expressly stated to have no fee for issuance. These changes would provide clarity and consistency. Also in Section 504.513, the name of the plate is changed to Firefighter to match current terminology.
As proposed, S.B. 2705 amends current law relating to fees for the issuance of certain specialty license plates and an exemption from vehicle registration for certain trailers, semitrailers, tractors, and implements of husbandry.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter D, Chapter 502, Transportation Code, by adding Section 502.147, as follows:
Sec. 502.147. CERTAIN FARM TRAILERS, FARM SEMITRAILERS, FARM TRACTORS, AND IMPLEMENTS OF HUSBANDRY. Provides that an owner is not required to register a farm trailer or farm semitrailer with a gross weight of 4,000 pounds or less or a farm tractor or an implement of husbandry if the trailer, semitrailer, tractor, or implement is operated only temporarily on the highways.
SECTION 2. Amends Section 504.3015(a), Transportation Code, as follows:
(a) Requires a person applying for a set of license plates under Subchapter D (Specialty License Plates for the Military) to pay the registration fee required under Chapter 502 (Registration of Vehicles) and the applicable special plate fee required under Section 504.3015 (Fees for Military Specialty License Plates), except that one set of license plates is required to be issued without the payment of the registration fee under certain provisions, including Section 504.316 (Legion of Merit Medal Recipients). Makes nonsubstantive changes.
SECTION 3. Amends Section 504.512, Transportation Code, by adding Subsection (b) to provide that there is no fee for the issuance of specialty license plates issued for the mother, father, or surviving spouse or an immediate family member of a person who died while serving in the United States armed forces.
SECTION 4. Amends Section 504.513, Transportation Code, by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (c), as follows:
(a) Requires the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to issue specialty license plates for certain fire protection personnel, including volunteer firefighters certified by certain groups, including the State Firefighters', rather than Firemen's, and Fire Marshals' Association of Texas.
(c) Provides that there is no fee for issuance of the license plates.
SECTION 5. Amends Section 504.516, Transportation Code, by adding Subsection (c) to provide that there is no fee for the issuance of license plates specially designed for rental trailers and travel trailers.
SECTION 6. Effective date: September 1, 2025.