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HB 53 (Thompson, Ed) Relating to the exemption from registration fees of certain vehicles used by nonprofit disaster relief organizations 

  • Expands emergency use registration exemption to include training, maintenance, transfer of emergency supplies, and other activities related to disaster relief
  • HB 53 passed out of both chambers and is now heading to the Governor’s desk 

HB 718 (Goldman) Relating to the issuance of certain tags, permits, and license plates authorizing the movement of vehicles and the transfer and renewal of certain license plates 

  • Removes provisions authorizing a vehicle dealer to issue a temporary paper tag
  • Eliminates the temporary tag database, replacing it with a TxDMV led database usable by law enforcement 
  • Dealers are responsible for displaying the license plate and the TxDMV must ensure that a dealer has a sufficient number of plates to continue selling vehicles 
  • HB 718 passed out of both chambers and is now heading to the Governor’s desk 

HB 914 (Hefner) Relating to temporary vehicle tags and the offense of tampering with a governmental record

  • Includes temp tags in the definition of a “governmental record,” sets tampering with temp tags as a Class A misdemeanor, and allows peace officers to issue citations for the offense
  • HB 914 was signed by the Governor and will be effective September 1

HB 2195 (Noble) Relating to wrong, fictitious, altered, or obscured license plates

  • Increases penalty for first-time offense of obscuring a license plate and escalates fines for subsequent offenses
  • Requires a registered motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, pole trailer, or mobile home to display license plates to be inspected; prohibits inspector from passing a vehicle with obscured plates
  • HB 2195 passed out of both chambers and is now heading to the Governor’s desk

HB 3297 (Harris, Cody) Relating to the elimination of regular mandatory vehicle safety inspections for noncommercial vehicles and the imposition of replacement fees

  • Would eliminate the Vehicle Safety Inspection Program for non-commercial vehicles and establish an equivalent vehicle inspection replacement fee to be paid at the time of vehicle registration
  • Vehicles would still be subject to federal inspection in nonattainment areas
  • HB 3297 passed out of both chambers and is now heading to the Governor’s desk

SB 505 (Nichols) Relating to imposing an additional fee for the registration of an electric vehicle

  • Requires owners of electric vehicles that weigh 10k pounds or less to pay an additional registration fee of $400 or $200 for a vehicle a part of a commercial fleet
  • Fees collected will be deposited to the credit of the State Highway Fund
  • SB 505 has been signed by the Governor and will be effective September 1

SB 1001 (Schwertner) Relating to the regulation of electric vehicle supply equipment; requiring an occupational registration

  • Sets up regulation of electric vehicle charging stations at TDLR
  • Would authorize TDLR to periodically inspect electric vehicle supply equipment in order to verify compliance and to contract to perform the department’s duties related to electric vehicle supply equipment, including inspections; would also require TDLR to establish fees necessary to cover costs
  • Each charging station is required to be registered with TDLR; charging stations installed near a private residence for noncommercial use, for the exclusive use of an individual at no charge, or for tenants of a business or multi-unit housing would be exempt
  • SB 1001 passed out of both chambers and is now heading to the Governor’s desk

SB 1499 (Nichols) Relating to the funding of certain port projects

  • Modifies funding for ports under Transportation Code Chapter 55 to include infrastructure projects
  • Projects are defined as infrastructure, security, transportation, or facility projects that are necessary or convenient for the proper operation of a maritime port and for the improvement of security, movement, and intermodal transportation of cargo or passengers in commerce and trade
  • Port Authority Advisory Committee determines what facilities receive funding
  • Caps funding that an eligible applicant may receive at 20% of the funding received by TxDOT in a fiscal biennium to fund eligible projects
  • SB 1499 has been signed by the Governor and will be effective September 1

SCR 2 (Nichols) Extending the duty of the comptroller of public accounts under Section 7-c, Article VIII, Texas Constitution, to deposit certain tax revenue to the state highway fund

  • Extends both components of Proposition 7 by a 10-year extension
  • Allows the Comptroller of Public Accounts to deposit tax revenues to the State Highway Fund
  • SCR 2 passed both chambers and is heading to the Governor’s desk

HB 3418 (Canales) Relating to the implementation by the Texas Department of Transportation of a vehicle mileage user fee pilot program and a task force to assist in developing and evaluating the program.

  • TxDOT, DMV, and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute would develop a pilot program to test tech used to track miles traveled by vehicles and evaluate the enforceability of a vehicle mileage user fee
  • HB 3418 passed the House (96-46) but was left pending in Senate Transportation