HBA-CMT H.B. 2230 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2230 By: McReynolds Public Safety 3/21/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, there is a conflict in the Transportation Code between Chapter 550 and the Motor Vehicle Safety Responsibility Act (MVSRA), which relate to accident reports filed with the Department of Public Safety (DPS). Under Chapter 550, a peace officer who is notified of a motor vehicle accident with damages to an apparent extent of at least $500 may investigate the accident and file justifiable charges relating to the accident. This results in a large amount of paperwork that is submitted to DPS which is not needed because the MVSRA restricts enforcement action to be taken by DPS unless the damage amount is $1,000 or more. House Bill 2230 increases the amount needed to investigate to $1,000. 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. ANALYSIS House Bill 2230 amends the Transportation Code to increase the minimum amount of apparent damage resulting from a motor vehicle accident from $500 to $1,000 needed to allow a peace officer to investigate and file justifiable charges relating to the accident. The bill increases from $500 to $1,000 the minimum amount of apparent damage resulting from a motor vehicle accident for which the vehicle's operator is required to report the accident to the Department of Public Safety no later than 10 days after the accident. The bill provides that a change in or a modification of a written report of a motor vehicle accident prepared by a peace officer or the operator of a vehicle involved in a accident that alters the material fact in the report may be made by a peace officer employed by the same law enforcement agency as the officer who prepared the report and who holds a higher rank in the preparing officer's chain of command. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.