HBA-ALS H.B. 3384 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3384
By: Hilderbran
Transportation
4/4/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, the Transportation Code allows farm vehicles and trailers to be
used for specified incidental uses by the vehicle's owner.  However, the
owner cannot currently loan the vehicle to another person for such a use.
H.B. 3384 allows the owner of a registered farm vehicle or trailer to loan
the vehicle to another person for certain uses described in Section
502.163, Transportation Code (Fee: Commercial Motor Vehicle Used Primarily
for Farm Purposes; Offense). 

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(b), Transportation Code, to authorize a
commercial motor vehicle to be registered under this section even if
another person other than the owner occasionally uses the vehicle, without
charge, for an activity described under this section. Make nonsubstantive
changes. 

SECTION 2. Amends Section 502.276(c), Transportation Code, to authorize the
temporary highway operation of a vehicle that has an issued distinguishing
license plate if it is a farm trailer with a gross weight between 4,000 and
34,000 pounds that is used to transport seasonally harvested agricultural
products or livestock from the place of production to the place of
processing, market, or storage. Deletes language authorizing an owner who
obtains an issued distinguishing license plate to temporarily operate the
vehicle on the highway, if the vehicle is a farm trailer with a gross
weight between 4,000 and 34,000 pounds that is used to transport the
owner's seasonally harvested agricultural products and livestock from the
place of production to the place of processing, market, or storage.   

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.