HBA-MSH H.B. 1368 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1368 By: Callegari Transportation 7/18/2001 Enrolled BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Prior to the 77th Legislature, a person wishing to register a vehicle for use during emergencies by a nonprofit disaster relief organization was required to provide a statement by the county sheriff that the vehicle had not been used for any purpose other than emergencies. The sheriff was not required to inspect the vehicle or investigate how the vehicle is used. House Bill 1368 removes the requirement to obtain a statement from the sheriff to register a vehicle for use by a nonprofit disaster relief organization and adds a provision requiring the owner of the vehicle to provide a written statement that the vehicle has been used only for emergencies. Prior law allowed an individual who purchased a new vehicle to purchase a registration sticker for 12, 24, or 36 months. Texans with a 12-month registration sticker receive an annual renewal notice for each vehicle they own. The renewals are mailed or hand delivered to the county tax office at a cost to the state. House Bill 1368 authorizes an owner of any vehicle to pay registration fees for a designated period of 12, 24, or 36 months, regardless of whether the vehicle is new. Prior to the 77th Legislature, Texas used a single procedure to register all vehicles in the state. Annually, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) mails a registration renewal form to the owner of each vehicle. Some businesses with a large number of vehicles received a renewal notice for each vehicle which had to be received, completed, and mailed back, creating a large amount of paperwork for the business as well as for the state. House Bill 1368 creates a consolidated registration system for vehicles in a fleet. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking authority is expressly delegated to the Texas Department of Transportation in SECTION 1 (Section 502.0022, Transportation Code) of this bill. ANALYSIS House Bill 1368 amends the Transportation Code to require the owner of a vehicle to provide on an application to register a vehicle used by a nonprofit disaster relief organization a written statement that the vehicle has not been used for any other purpose other than emergencies. The bill also requires a signed statement from an officer of the nonprofit disaster relief organization that uses the vehicle that the vehicle has not been used for any purpose other than emergencies and qualifies for registration as a vehicle used by a nonprofit disaster relief organization. House Bill 1368 requires the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to develop and implement a system of registration so that an owner of a fleet of motor vehicles may consolidate the registration of the vehicles in that fleet as an alternative to the separate registration of each motor vehicle in the fleet. The bill provides that a system of consolidated registration must allow an owner to register an entire fleet of motor vehicles in the county of the owner's residence or principal place of business, or to register those vehicles in a fleet of vehicles that are operated most regularly in the same county by registering the vehicles in that county. The bill requires TxDOT to define by rule "fleet" and authorizes TxDOT to adopt rules to administer the consolidated registration system. House Bill 1368 removes the provision that only authorizes an owner of a vehicle to pay registration fees for a designated period of 12, 24, or 36 months if the vehicle has not been previously registered in any state and is of the current or preceding model year. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.