HBA-DMD, RAR H.B. 789 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 789
By: Capelo
Public Safety
4/14/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, certain traffic and motor vehicle related offenses are Class C
misdemeanors and are punishable by a fine only. H.B. 789 provides that
certain offenses under Subtitle C (Rules of the Road), Title 7 (Vehicles
and Traffic), Transportation Code, punishable by fine only are offenses for
which a peace officer is required to issue a written notice to appear in
court and that those offenses are the only offenses for which issuance of a
written notice to appear in court is mandatory. 

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 543.004(a), Transportation Code, to provide that
an offense under this subtitle (Rules of the Road) punishable by fine only,
rather than speeding, is an offense for which a peace officer is required
to issue a written notice to appear in court. Creates Paragraph (A) from
new text and Paragraph (B) from existing text.  

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 543.004, Transportation Code, by adding
Subsection (c), to more accurately reflect the source of law from which it
was derived by stating that the offenses specified under Subsection (a) are
the only offenses for which issuance of a written notice to appear in court
is mandatory. 

SECTION 3.  Effective date: September 1, 1999, except that SECTION 2 of
this Act takes effect immediately. 

SECTION 4.  Emergency clause.