HBA-CMT H.B. 3340 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3340 By: Flores Transportation 3/21/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current law, the offense for parking illegally in a space or area designated for a disabled person is a misdemeanor punishable by a minimum fine of $250 rising to a maximum fine of $1,000 for repeat offenses. Current law also stipulates that if a person commits the offense three times or more, those offenders are punishable with a certain amount of community service. House Bill 3340 increases the penalties for the offense of parking illegally in a space or area designated for disabled persons. 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. ANALYSIS House Bill 3340 amends the Transportation Code to remove the minimum fine of $250 for the first offense of parking in a space designated for disabled persons, and to set the fine at $500. The bill increases the fine for a person convicted of parking in a space designated for disabled persons: _from a minimum of $300 and a maximum of $600 to a minimum of $500 and a maximum of $750 for a second offense; _from a minimum of $300 and maximum of $600 to a minimum of $750 and maximum of $1,000 for a third offense; _from a minimum of $500 and maximum of $1,000 to a minimum of $1,000 and a maximum of $1,250 for a fourth offense; and _from $1,000 to a minimum of $1,250 and a maximum of $1,500 for any offense beyond the fourth. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.