Bill Text: TX HB2884 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to suspending a vehicle registration for the failure to establish financial responsibility; imposing penalties.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-03-16 - Referred to Transportation [HB2884 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-HB2884-Introduced.html
By: Flynn | H.B. No. 2884 |
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relating to suspending a vehicle registration for the failure to | ||
establish financial responsibility; imposing penalties. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter H, Chapter 601, Transportation Code, | ||
is amended by adding Sections 601.235 and 601.236 to read as | ||
follows: | ||
Sec. 601.235. SUSPENSION OF MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION BY THE | ||
TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES. (a) The Texas Department of | ||
Motor Vehicles may access the records of the Texas Department of | ||
Insurance and the Department of Public Safety to perform its duties | ||
under this section. | ||
(b) The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, using its own | ||
records, the records of the Texas Department of Insurance, and the | ||
records of the Department of Public Safety, shall verify quarterly | ||
whether owners of motor vehicles have established financial | ||
responsibility under this chapter. | ||
(c) If the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles determines | ||
that the owner of a motor vehicle has not established the financial | ||
responsibility required by this chapter, that department shall send | ||
a notice to the owner: | ||
(1) requiring the owner to submit the evidence | ||
required under Section 502.046 to the Texas Department of Motor | ||
Vehicles before the 45th day after the date the notice is sent; and | ||
(2) warning the owner that the Texas Department of | ||
Motor Vehicles will suspend the owner's vehicle registration if the | ||
owner does not comply with Subdivision (1). | ||
(d) If the owner does not comply with Subsection (c)(1), the | ||
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles shall suspend the owner's | ||
vehicle registration and mail a notice to the owner in a timely | ||
manner that states that the owner's vehicle registration is | ||
suspended. | ||
(e) A suspension under Subsection (d) continues until the | ||
owner: | ||
(1) submits evidence of financial responsibility | ||
required under Section 502.046; and | ||
(2) pays an administrative fee of $200. | ||
(f) The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles shall adopt rules | ||
to implement this section. | ||
(g) Information obtained under this section is confidential | ||
and may be used only for a purpose authorized by this section and | ||
may not be used for a commercial purpose. The information may be | ||
shared with counties. | ||
(h) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly uses | ||
information obtained under this section for any purpose not | ||
authorized by this section. An offense under this subsection is a | ||
Class B misdemeanor. | ||
Sec. 601.236. AGENT.(a) The Texas Department of Motor | ||
Vehicles, under a competitive bidding procedure, shall select an | ||
agent to develop, implement, operate, and maintain the financial | ||
responsibility verification program under Section 601.235. | ||
(b) A contract under this section may not have a term of more | ||
than eight years. | ||
SECTION 2. The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles shall | ||
select an agent required by Section 601.236, Transportation Code, | ||
as added by this Act, before December 31, 2015. The department shall | ||
adopt rules as required by Section 601.235, Transportation Code, as | ||
added by this Act, not later than seven months before the full | ||
implementation of the program under that section. The department | ||
shall require full implementation of the program for vehicles | ||
covered under a personal automobile insurance policy before | ||
December 31, 2016, and implementation of that program for vehicles | ||
covered under a commercial insurance policy when the department | ||
determines that implementation for vehicles covered under a | ||
commercial insurance policy is feasible. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |