Bill Text: TX HB3078 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Relating to the registration of certain motor vehicles as farm or ranch vehicles.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 4-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2021-05-26 - Removed from local & uncontested calendar [HB3078 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB3078-Comm_Sub.html
| By: Bailes, Guillen, Murr | H.B. No. 3078 | |
| (Senate Sponsor - Nichols) | ||
| (In the Senate - Received from the House May 3, 2021; | ||
| May 10, 2021, read first time and referred to Committee on | ||
| Transportation; May 17, 2021, reported favorably by the following | ||
| vote: Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 17, 2021, sent to printer.) | ||
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| relating to the registration of certain motor vehicles as farm or | ||
| ranch vehicles. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. The heading to Section 502.433, Transportation | ||
| Code, is amended to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 502.433. FEE: COMMERCIAL FARM OR RANCH MOTOR VEHICLE. | ||
| SECTION 2. Sections 502.433(a) and (d), Transportation | ||
| Code, are amended to read as follows: | ||
| (a) The registration fee for a commercial motor vehicle as a | ||
| farm vehicle or ranch vehicle is 50 percent of the applicable fee | ||
| under Section 502.252 or 502.253, as applicable, if the vehicle's | ||
| owner will use the vehicle for commercial purposes only to | ||
| transport: | ||
| (1) the person's own poultry, dairy, livestock, | ||
| livestock products, timber in its natural state, or farm products | ||
| to market or another place for sale or processing; | ||
| (2) laborers from their place of residence to the | ||
| owner's farm or ranch; or | ||
| (3) without charge, materials, tools, equipment, or | ||
| supplies from the place of purchase or storage to the owner's farm | ||
| or ranch exclusively for the owner's use or for use on the farm or | ||
| ranch. | ||
| (d) The department shall provide separate distinguishing | ||
| license plates for farm and ranch vehicles [ |
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| under this section. The department shall provide a person who | ||
| registers a vehicle under this section the option of designating | ||
| the vehicle as a farm vehicle or a ranch vehicle. | ||
| SECTION 3. Section 545.413(e), Transportation Code, is | ||
| amended to read as follows: | ||
| (e) It is a defense to prosecution under this section that: | ||
| (1) the person possesses a written statement from a | ||
| licensed physician stating that for a medical reason the person | ||
| should not wear a safety belt; | ||
| (2) the person presents to the court, not later than | ||
| the 10th day after the date of the offense, a statement from a | ||
| licensed physician stating that for a medical reason the person | ||
| should not wear a safety belt; | ||
| (3) the person is employed by the United States Postal | ||
| Service and performing a duty for that agency that requires the | ||
| operator to service postal boxes from a vehicle or that requires | ||
| frequent entry into and exit from a vehicle; | ||
| (4) the person is engaged in the actual delivery of | ||
| newspapers from a vehicle or is performing newspaper delivery | ||
| duties that require frequent entry into and exit from a vehicle; | ||
| (5) the person is employed by a public or private | ||
| utility company and is engaged in the reading of meters or | ||
| performing a similar duty for that company requiring the operator | ||
| to frequently enter into and exit from a vehicle; | ||
| (6) the person is operating a commercial vehicle | ||
| registered as a farm or ranch vehicle under the provisions of | ||
| Section 502.433 that does not have a gross weight, registered | ||
| weight, or gross weight rating of 48,000 pounds or more; or | ||
| (7) the person is the operator of or a passenger in a | ||
| vehicle used exclusively to transport solid waste and performing | ||
| duties that require frequent entry into and exit from the vehicle. | ||
| SECTION 4. Section 622.074, Transportation Code, is amended | ||
| to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 622.074. NONAPPLICABILITY OF SUBCHAPTER. This | ||
| subchapter does not apply to: | ||
| (1) farm equipment used for a purpose other than | ||
| construction; | ||
| (2) special mobile equipment owned by a dealer or | ||
| distributor; | ||
| (3) a vehicle used to propel special mobile equipment | ||
| that is registered as a farm or ranch vehicle under Section 502.433; | ||
| or | ||
| (4) equipment while being used by a commercial hauler | ||
| to transport special mobile equipment under hire of a person who | ||
| derives $500 in gross receipts annually from a farming or ranching | ||
| enterprise. | ||
| SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. | ||
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