Bill Text: TX HB1222 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Relating to a study on authorizing a passenger car or light truck to be operated with only a rear license plate.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-05-11 - Placed on General State Calendar [HB1222 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB1222-Comm_Sub.html
88R23574 BEE-D | |||
By: Metcalf | H.B. No. 1222 | ||
Substitute the following for H.B. No. 1222: | |||
By: Canales | C.S.H.B. No. 1222 |
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relating to a study on authorizing a passenger car or light truck to | ||
be operated with only a rear license plate. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. STUDY. (a) The Texas Department of Motor | ||
Vehicles and the Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas | ||
shall jointly conduct a study on the feasibility, cost, and effect | ||
on law enforcement of authorizing a passenger car or light truck to | ||
be operated with a rear license plate and a windshield sticker | ||
instead of a front and rear license plate. | ||
(b) The study must evaluate a license plate and windshield | ||
sticker system under which: | ||
(1) the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles would: | ||
(A) issue a set of two license plates to an | ||
applicant for registration of a passenger car or light truck; and | ||
(B) adopt rules to: | ||
(i) authorize a passenger car or light | ||
truck to display only a rear license plate if the motor vehicle is | ||
not equipped by the manufacturer with an exterior front feature to | ||
which a license plate may be fastened without drilling through the | ||
exterior of the vehicle; | ||
(ii) require a vehicle that displays only a | ||
rear license plate under Subparagraph (i) to display a windshield | ||
sticker; | ||
(iii) prescribe the manner and form of an | ||
application for a windshield sticker; | ||
(iv) establish a reasonable fee for a | ||
windshield sticker; | ||
(v) determine the information and | ||
documentation required to demonstrate eligibility for a windshield | ||
sticker; and | ||
(vi) prescribe the form of the windshield | ||
sticker and the manner in which the sticker must be displayed; | ||
(2) a person commits an offense that is a Class C | ||
misdemeanor if the person operates a passenger car or light truck | ||
that displays a windshield sticker and only a rear license plate | ||
and: | ||
(A) the unmounted license plate issued for the | ||
vehicle is not in the vehicle; or | ||
(B) the person fails to produce for inspection, | ||
on the request of a peace officer, the unmounted license plate | ||
issued for the vehicle; | ||
(3) a peace officer may not stop a passenger car or | ||
light truck that displays a windshield sticker and only a rear | ||
license plate solely to enforce the requirements that the unmounted | ||
license plate issued for the vehicle be in the vehicle and produced | ||
at the request of the officer; and | ||
(4) a person commits an offense if the person operates | ||
on a public highway, during a registration period, a vehicle that | ||
does not display all license plates and any windshield sticker | ||
required to be displayed on the vehicle. | ||
SECTION 2. REPORT. Not later than October 1, 2024, the | ||
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles and the Department of Public | ||
Safety of the State of Texas shall jointly submit to the legislature | ||
a report of the results of the study conducted under this Act. | ||
SECTION 3. EXPIRATION DATE. This Act expires September 1, | ||
2025. | ||
SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September | ||
1, 2023. |