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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the extended registration of certain county fleet |
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vehicles. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 502, Transportation Code, |
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is amended by adding Section 502.0025 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 502.0025. EXTENDED REGISTRATION OF CERTAIN COUNTY |
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FLEET VEHICLES. (a) In this section, "exempt county fleet" means a |
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group of two or more nonapportioned motor vehicles, semitrailers, |
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or trailers described by Section 502.453(a) that is owned by and |
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used exclusively in the service of a county with a population of 3.3 |
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million or more. |
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(b) Notwithstanding the annual registration requirements of |
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Sections 502.044(c) and 502.453(a), the department shall develop |
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and implement a system of registration to allow an owner of an |
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exempt county fleet to register vehicles in the fleet for an |
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extended registration period of not less than one year or more than |
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eight years. |
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(c) A system of extended registration under this section |
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must allow the owner of an exempt county fleet to: |
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(1) select the number of years for registration under |
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this section; |
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(2) register the entire fleet in the county of the |
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owner's principal place of business; |
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(3) register the motor vehicles in the fleet that are |
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operated most regularly in the same county; or |
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(4) register the entire fleet directly with the |
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department. |
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(d) A motor vehicle, semitrailer, or trailer registered |
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under this section is subject to the inspection requirements of |
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Chapter 548 as if the vehicle, semitrailer, or trailer were |
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registered without an extended registration period. |
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(e) The department shall adopt rules to implement this |
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section, including rules: |
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(1) regarding the suspension of an exempt county |
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fleet's registration under this section if the owner of the exempt |
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county fleet fails to comply with this section or rules adopted |
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under this section; and |
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(2) establishing a method to enforce the inspection |
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requirements of Chapter 548 for motor vehicles, semitrailers, and |
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trailers registered under this section. |
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SECTION 2. Section 502.453, Transportation Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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Sec. 502.453. GOVERNMENT-OWNED VEHICLES; PUBLIC SCHOOL |
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BUSES; FIRE-FIGHTING VEHICLES; COUNTY MARINE LAW ENFORCEMENT |
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VEHICLES; U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY VEHICLES. (a) The owner of a |
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motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer may [annually] apply for |
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registration under Section 502.0025 or 502.451 and is exempt from |
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the payment of a registration fee under this chapter if the vehicle |
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is: |
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(1) owned by and used exclusively in the service of: |
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(A) the United States; |
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(B) this state; |
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(C) a county, municipality, or school district in |
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this state; or |
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(D) an open-enrollment charter school; |
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(2) owned by a commercial transportation company and |
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used exclusively to provide public school transportation services |
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to a school district under Section 34.008, Education Code; |
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(3) designed and used exclusively for fire fighting; |
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(4) owned by a volunteer fire department and used |
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exclusively in the conduct of department business; |
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(5) privately owned and used by a volunteer |
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exclusively in county marine law enforcement activities, including |
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rescue operations, under the direction of the sheriff's department; |
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(6) used by law enforcement under an alias for covert |
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criminal investigations; or |
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(7) owned by units of the United States Coast Guard |
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Auxiliary headquartered in Texas and used exclusively for conduct |
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of United States Coast Guard or Coast Guard Auxiliary business and |
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operations, including search and rescue, emergency communications, |
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and disaster operations. |
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(b) An application for registration under this section or |
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Section 502.0025 must be made by a person having the authority to |
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certify that the vehicle meets the exemption requirements |
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prescribed by Subsection (a). An application for registration |
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under this section of a fire-fighting vehicle described by |
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Subsection (a)(3) must include a reasonable description of the |
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vehicle and of any fire-fighting equipment mounted on the vehicle. |
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An application for registration under this section of a vehicle |
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described by Subsection (a)(5) must include a statement signed by a |
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person having the authority to act for a sheriff's department that |
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the vehicle is used exclusively in marine law enforcement |
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activities under the direction of the sheriff's department. An |
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application for registration under this section of a vehicle |
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described by Subsection (a)(7) must include a statement signed by a |
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person having authority to act for the United States Coast Guard |
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Auxiliary that the vehicle or trailer is used exclusively in |
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fulfillment of an authorized mission of the United States Coast |
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Guard or Coast Guard Auxiliary, including search and rescue, |
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patrol, emergency communications, or disaster operations. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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