S.B. No. 876         AN ACT   relating to the county in which a person may apply for the   registration of and title for a motor vehicle.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Section 501.023(a), Transportation Code, is   amended to read as follows:          (a)  The owner of a motor vehicle must present identification   and apply for a title as prescribed by the department, unless   otherwise exempted by law.  To obtain a title, the owner must   apply:                (1)  to the county assessor-collector in the county in   which:                      (A)  the owner is domiciled; or                      (B)  the motor vehicle is purchased or encumbered;   or                (2)  to any [the] county assessor-collector [of a   county] who is willing to accept the application [if the county   assessor-collector's office of the county in which the owner   resides is closed or may be closed for a protracted period of time   as defined by the department].          SECTION 2.  Section 501.0234(d), Transportation Code, is   amended to read as follows:          (d)  A seller who applies for the registration or a title for   a motor vehicle under Subsection (a)(1) may [shall] apply:                (1)  to the county assessor-collector of the county in   which:                      (A)  the owner is domiciled; or                      (B)  the motor vehicle is purchased or encumbered;   or                (2)  to any [in the] county assessor-collector who is   willing to accept the application [as directed by the purchaser   from the counties set forth in Section 501.023].          SECTION 3.  Section 501.030(e), Transportation Code, is   amended to read as follows:          (e)  Before a motor vehicle that is required to be registered   in this state and that is brought into this state by a person other   than a manufacturer or importer may be bargained, sold,   transferred, or delivered with an intent to pass an interest in the   vehicle or encumbered by a lien, the owner must apply for a title in   a manner prescribed by the department to the county   assessor-collector for the county in which the transaction is to   take place or to any assessor-collector who is willing to accept the   application.  The assessor-collector may not issue a title receipt   unless the applicant delivers to the assessor-collector   satisfactory evidence showing that the applicant is the owner of   the vehicle and that the vehicle is free of any undisclosed liens.          SECTION 4.  Section 502.0023(b), Transportation Code, is   amended to read as follows:          (b)  A system of extended registration under this section   must allow the owner of a commercial fleet to register[:                [(1)]  an entire commercial fleet in the county of the   owner's residence or principal place of business or in any county in   which the county assessor-collector is willing to accept the   registration[; or                [(2)  the motor vehicles in a commercial fleet that are   operated most regularly in the same county].          SECTION 5.  Section 502.040(b), Transportation Code, is   amended to read as follows:          (b)  The application must be accompanied by personal   identification as determined by department rule and made in a   manner prescribed by the department through:                (1)  [through] the county assessor-collector of the   county in which the owner resides; or                (2)  any  [if the office of that assessor-collector is   closed, or may be closed for a protracted period of time, as defined   by department rule, through a] county assessor-collector who is   willing to accept the application.          SECTION 6.  Section 502.041(a), Transportation Code, is   amended to read as follows:          (a)  Notwithstanding Section 502.040, the owner of a vehicle   may concurrently apply for a title and for registration through the   county assessor-collector of the county in which:                (1)  the owner resides; [or]                (2)  the vehicle is purchased or encumbered; or                (3)  the county assessor-collector is willing to accept   the application.          SECTION 7.  Section 502.407(c), Transportation Code, is   amended to read as follows:          (c)  It is a defense to prosecution under this section that   at the time of the offense:                (1)  the office of the county assessor-collector for   the county in which the owner of the vehicle resided was closed for   a protracted period of time in accordance with department rules    [Section 502.040(b)(2)]; and                (2)  the vehicle's registration was expired for 30   working days or less.          SECTION 8.  The heading to Section 520.006, Transportation   Code, is amended to read as follows:          Sec. 520.006.  COLLECTION OF FEES ON BEHALF OF ANOTHER   ASSESSOR-COLLECTOR; COMPENSATION OF ASSESSOR-COLLECTOR.          SECTION 9.  Sections 520.006(a-1) and (b), Transportation   Code, are amended to read as follows:          (a-1)  A county assessor-collector collecting fees on behalf   of another [a] county assessor-collector [whose office is closed or   may be closed for a protracted period of time as defined by the   department] for purposes of Section 501.023, 501.0234, 501.030,   502.0023, [or] 502.040, or 502.041 shall collect all taxes, fees,   and other revenue based on the vehicle owner's county of residence.   The vehicle owner's county of residence shall be the recipient of   all taxes, fees, and other revenue collected as a result of the   transaction, except that the county processing the application may   retain the portion of the title application fee under Section   501.138 and the processing and handling fee under Section 502.1911   that the tax assessor-collector is authorized to [may] retain [the   commission for fees collected, but shall allocate the fees to the   county that is closed or may be closed for a protracted period of   time].          (b)  A county assessor-collector who is compensated under   this section for processing a transaction shall pay the entire   expense of issuing registration receipts and license plates under   Chapter 501 or 502 from the compensation allowed under this   section.          SECTION 10.  Section 521.144(c), Transportation Code, is   amended to read as follows:          (c)  A registration receipt issued by a [the] county   assessor-collector in this state [of the county in which the new   resident resides] is satisfactory evidence that a motor vehicle is   registered under Chapter 502.          SECTION 11.  The following provisions of the Transportation   Code are repealed:                (1)  Section 501.023(e); and                (2)  Section 501.0234(e).          SECTION 12.  Section 502.407(c), Transportation Code, as   amended by this Act, applies only to an offense committed on or   after the effective date of this Act. An offense committed before   the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect when   the offense was committed, and the former law is continued in effect   for that purpose. For purposes of this section, an offense was   committed before the effective date of this Act if any element of   the offense occurred before that date.          SECTION 13.  This Act takes effect March 1, 2022.             ______________________________ ______________________________      President of the Senate Speaker of the House                 I hereby certify that S.B. No. 876 passed the Senate on   April 13, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 29, Nays 2; and that   the Senate concurred in House amendments on May 27, 2021, by the   following vote: Yeas 28, Nays 3.       ______________________________   Secretary of the Senate                I hereby certify that S.B. No. 876 passed the House, with   amendments, on May 14, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 93,   Nays 35, one present not voting.       ______________________________   Chief Clerk of the House            Approved:     ______________________________                Date       ______________________________              Governor