HBA-MPA H.B. 2462 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2462 By: Alexander Transportation 4/6/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, Texas law allows certain farm vehicles and trailers to qualify for a reduced vehicle or trailer registration fee. Current statute specifies that any vehicle or trailer which is registered under this reduced fee may be used only by the owner of the vehicle or trailer to transport items related to the owner's farm or ranch operation. Accordingly, persons borrowing such a vehicle may be unwittingly breaking the law. H.B. 2462 removes the requirement that only the owner of a farmregistered vehicle or trailer may use the vehicle or trailer. 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 502.163(a), Transportation Code, to provide that the registration fee for a commercial motor vehicle as a farm vehicle is 50 percent of the applicable fee under Section 502.162 (Fee: Commercial Motor Vehicle or Truck-Tractor) if the vehicle will be used, rather than the vehicle's owner will use it, for commercial purposes only to transport: (1) enumerated agricultural products to market or another place for sale, processing, use, or consumption. Deletes dairy from enumerated agricultural products, and makes conforming and nonsubstantive changes; (2) makes no change; (3) without charge, enumerated materials from the place of purchase to a farm or ranch. Deletes provision requiring that transportation be to the owner's farm or ranch exclusively for the owner's use or for use on the farm or ranch. SECTION 2. Amends Section 502.276(c), Transportation Code, to make conforming and nonsubstantive changes. SECTION 3. Provides that SECTION 1 of this Act takes effect on September 1, 1999, and applies only to a commercial motor vehicle registered as a farm vehicle under Section 502.163 (Fee: Commercial Motor Vehicle Used Primarily for Farm Purposes; Offense), Transportation Code, on or after that date. SECTION 4.Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.