HBA-JRA H.B. 89 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 89 By: Gutierrez Transportation 4/16/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently the penalty for a late vehicle registration is 20 percent of the total amount due regardless of how late the penalty is paid. Texas Department of Transportation surveys indicate that an average of four percent of the vehicles being driven on Texas highways have invalid vehicle registrations and the average delinquent registration occurs three to four months after the due date. H.B. 89 increases the penalty for the late registration of a motor vehicle to either 20 percent of the total amount due or $5.00 for each calendar month, beginning the second month after the expiration date of the registration, whichever is greater. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 502.158(f), Transportation Code, to require that a vehicle registration application filed more than five days, rather than one month, after the prior registration expires, be accompanied by proof, rather than a statement, that the vehicle has not been operated on a public highway since the registration expired, or be accompanied by a delinquent fee under Section 502.176. SECTION 2. Amends Section 502.176, Transportation Code, by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (c), as follows: (b)(1) Prohibits the county assessor-collector to register a vehicle with a delinquent registration fee unless the owner provides proof, as an alternative to paying an additional charge, that the vehicle has not been operated on a public highway. (2) Creates this subdivision from existing text and provides an additional charge of either 20 percent of the registration fee or $5 for each full or partial calendar month beginning the second month after the date the registration expired, whichever is greater. (c) Requires the fees collected to be disposed of and reported as provided by Sections 502.102 (Disposition of Fees Generally) and 502.105 (Report of Fees Collected) if the county has implemented the Texas Department of Transportation's automated registration and title system. Requires the fees collected to be sent to the comptroller for deposit to the credit of the state highway fund if the automated system has not been implemented in the county. SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 1999. Makes application of this Act prospective. SECTION 4. Emergency clause.