S.B. No. 1386

	AN ACT
	relating to the refusal to register motor vehicles by a county
	assessor-collector or the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1.  Section 502.185, Transportation Code, is amended
	by amending Subsections (a) and (f) and adding Subsection (f-1) to
	read as follows:
	(a)  A county assessor-collector or the department may
	refuse to register a motor vehicle if the assessor-collector or the
	department receives information that the owner of the vehicle:
	(1)  owes the county money for a fine, fee, or tax that
	is past due; or
	(2)  failed to appear in connection with a complaint,
	citation, information, or indictment in a court in the county in
	which a criminal proceeding is pending against the owner.
	(f)  A county that has a contract under Subsection (b) may
	impose an additional fee of $20 to:
	(1)  a person who fails to pay [paying] a fine, fee, or
	tax to the county by the date on which the fine, fee, or tax is
	[after it is past] due; or
	(2)  a person who fails to appear in connection with a
	complaint, citation, information, or indictment in a court in which
	a criminal proceeding is pending against the owner.
	(f-1)  The additional fee may be used only to reimburse the
	department or the county assessor-collector for its expenses for
	providing services under the contract, or another county department
	for expenses related to services under the contract.
	SECTION 2.  Section 702.003, Transportation Code, is amended
	by amending Subsections (b) and (c) and adding Subsection (e-1) to
	read as follows:
	(b)  A municipality may contract with a county in which the
	municipality is located or the department to provide information to
	the county assessor-collector or department necessary to make a
	determination under Subsection (a).
	(c)  A municipality that has a contract under Subsection (b)
	shall notify the county assessor-collector or the department
	regarding a person for whom the county assessor-collector or the
	department has refused to register a motor vehicle on:
	(1)  entry of a judgment against the person and the
	person's payment to the court of the fine for the violation and of
	all court costs;
	(2)  perfection of an appeal of the case for which the
	arrest warrant was issued; or
	(3)  dismissal of the charge for which the arrest
	warrant was issued.
	(e-1)  A municipality that has a contract under Subsection
	(b) may impose an additional $20 fee to a person who has an
	outstanding warrant from the municipality for failure to appear or
	failure to pay a fine on a complaint that involves the violation of
	a traffic law.  The additional fee may be used only to reimburse the
	department or the county assessor-collector for its expenses for
	providing services under the contract, or another county department
	for expenses related to services under the contract.
	SECTION 3.  The changes in law made by Sections 502.185 and
	702.003, Transportation Code, as amended by this Act, apply only to
	a failure to appear or a fine, fee, or tax in connection with a
	complaint, citation, information, or indictment issued on or after
	the effective date of this Act.  A failure to appear or a fine, fee,
	or tax in connection with a complaint, citation, information, or
	indictment issued before the effective date of this Act is subject
	to the law in effect on that date, and that law is continued in
	effect for that purpose.
	SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2011.
	______________________________	______________________________
	President of the Senate	Speaker of the House
	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1386 passed the Senate on
	May 9, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 28, Nays 3; and that the
	Senate concurred in House amendment on May 25, 2011, by the
	following vote: Yeas 28, Nays 3.
	______________________________
	Secretary of the Senate
	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1386 passed the House, with
	amendment, on May 20, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 140,
	Nays 9, one present not voting.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House
	Approved:
	______________________________
	Date
	______________________________
	Governor