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.