By: Guillen (Senate Sponsor - LaMantia) H.B. No. 3224          (In the Senate - Received from the House May 3, 2023;   May 5, 2023, read first time and referred to Committee on   Transportation; May 17, 2023, reported favorably by the following   vote:  Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 17, 2023, sent to printer.)Click here to see the committee vote         COMMITTEE VOTE              YeaNayAbsentPNV          NicholsX          WestX          AlvaradoX          EckhardtX          HancockX          KingX          MilesX          ParkerX          PerryX     A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT     relating to the status of the registration of a vehicle after a   failure to establish financial responsibility.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  The heading to Subchapter H, Chapter 601,   Transportation Code, is amended to read as follows:   SUBCHAPTER H. FAILURE TO MAINTAIN EVIDENCE OF FINANCIAL   RESPONSIBILITY;  SUSPENSION OF DRIVER'S LICENSE [AND MOTOR VEHICLE   REGISTRATION]          SECTION 2.  The heading to Section 601.231, Transportation   Code, is amended to read as follows:          Sec. 601.231.  SUSPENSION OF DRIVER'S LICENSE [AND VEHICLE   REGISTRATION].          SECTION 3.  Section 601.231(a), Transportation Code, is   amended to read as follows:          (a)  If a person is convicted of an offense under Section   601.191 and a prior conviction of that person under that section has   been reported to the department by a magistrate or the judge or   clerk of a court, the department shall suspend the driver's license   [and vehicle registrations] of the person unless the person files   and maintains evidence of financial responsibility with the   department until the second anniversary of the date of the   subsequent conviction.          SECTION 4.  Section 601.232, Transportation Code, is amended   to read as follows:          Sec. 601.232.  NOTICE OF SUSPENSION.  (a)  The department   shall send in a timely manner a notice to each person whose driver's   license is [and vehicle registrations are] suspended under Section   601.231.          (b)  The notice must state that the person's driver's license   is [and registration are] suspended and that the person may apply   for reinstatement of the license [and vehicle registration] or   issuance of a new license [and registration] as provided by   Sections 601.162 and 601.376.          SECTION 5.  Section 601.233(a), Transportation Code, is   amended to read as follows:          (a)  A citation for an offense under Section 601.191 issued   as a result of Section 601.053 must include, in type larger than   other type on the citation, the following statement:   "A second or subsequent conviction of an offense under the Texas   Motor Vehicle Safety Responsibility Act will result in the   suspension of your driver's license [and motor vehicle   registration] unless you file and maintain evidence of financial   responsibility with the Department of Public Safety for two years   from the date of conviction.  The department may waive the   requirement to file evidence of financial responsibility if you   file satisfactory evidence with the department showing that at the   time this citation was issued, the vehicle was covered by a motor   vehicle liability insurance policy or that you were otherwise   exempt from the requirements to provide evidence of financial   responsibility."          SECTION 6.  The change in law made by this Act applies only   to a vehicle registration suspended for an offense committed on or   after the effective date of this Act.  A vehicle registration   suspended for an offense committed before the effective date of   this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date 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 7.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.     * * * * *