H.B. No. 1360

	AN ACT
	relating to the exemption of certain vehicles from registration
	fees.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1.  Section 502.453, Transportation Code, is amended
	to read as follows:
	Sec. 502.453.  GOVERNMENT-OWNED VEHICLES; PUBLIC SCHOOL
	BUSES; FIRE-FIGHTING VEHICLES; COUNTY MARINE LAW ENFORCEMENT
	VEHICLES; U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY VEHICLES. (a)  The owner of a
	motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer may annually apply for
	registration under Section 502.451 and is exempt from the payment
	of a registration fee under this chapter if the vehicle is:
	(1)  owned by and used exclusively in the service of:
	(A)  the United States;
	(B)  this state; or
	(C)  a county, municipality, or school district in
	this state;
	(2)  owned by a commercial transportation company and
	used exclusively to provide public school transportation services
	to a school district under Section 34.008, Education Code;
	(3)  designed and used exclusively for fire fighting;
	(4)  owned by a volunteer fire department and used
	exclusively in the conduct of department business;
	(5)  privately owned and used by a volunteer
	exclusively in county marine law enforcement activities, including
	rescue operations, under the direction of the sheriff's department;
	[or]
	(6)  used by law enforcement under an alias for covert
	criminal investigations; or
	(7)  owned by units of the United States Coast Guard
	Auxiliary headquartered in Texas and used exclusively for conduct
	of United States Coast Guard or Coast Guard Auxiliary business and
	operations, including search and rescue, emergency communications,
	and disaster operations.
	(b)  An application for registration under this section must
	be made by a person having the authority to certify that the vehicle
	meets the exemption requirements prescribed by Subsection (a).  An
	application for registration under this section of a fire-fighting
	vehicle described by Subsection (a)(3) must include a reasonable
	description of the vehicle and of any fire-fighting equipment
	mounted on the vehicle.  An application for registration under this
	section of a vehicle described by Subsection (a)(5) must include a
	statement signed by a person having the authority to act for a
	sheriff's department that the vehicle is used exclusively in marine
	law enforcement activities under the direction of the sheriff's
	department. An application for registration under this section of
	a vehicle described by Subsection (a)(7) must include a statement
	signed by a person having authority to act for the United States
	Coast Guard Auxiliary that the vehicle or trailer is used
	exclusively in fulfillment of an authorized mission of the United
	States Coast Guard or Coast Guard Auxiliary, including search and
	rescue, patrol, emergency communications, or disaster operations.
	SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
	Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
	______________________________	______________________________
	President of the Senate	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.B. No. 1360 was passed by the House on May 8,
	2015, by the following vote:  Yeas 142, Nays 0, 2 present, not
	voting.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House
	I certify that H.B. No. 1360 was passed by the Senate on May
	26, 2015, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.
	______________________________
	Secretary of the Senate
	APPROVED:  _____________________
	Date
	_____________________
	Governor