House Bill 2305 was passed by the Texas Legislation on June 14, 2013 and went into effect on March 1, 2015. The bill did away with the familiar inspection sticker most Texas drivers were accustomed to receiving when we had our cars and trucks inspected each year. The goal, starting March 1st of last year was to combine the inspection sticker with our vehicle registration sticker.
The gavel has sounded and the 84th session of the Texas Legislature has come to a close. All bills approved by both houses of the legislature have been presented to Governor Abbott and will either be signed into law or vetoed. I had high hopes for several driver and car insurance related bills that were introduced this session, however it appears none will be passed. Here’s a rundown on what was introduced but didn’t make it to Governor Abbott.
There are three bills that have been filed in the current Texas Legislative session; two are directly related to car insurance, while the third is not. Two of the bills aim to tackle the problem of named driver policies and exclusions, while the third bill focuses on the issue of texting and driving.
Most Texans give little thought as to what’s happening in any given legislative session in Austin. After all, how does it impact me or what can I do seem to get in the way of work, raising kids, and being with family and friends. I understand, but you might be surprised that when we do speak up, we may just be heard and cause the very change we seek.
In case you missed it, House Bill 2305 was passed by the Texas Legislation on June 14, 2013. It goes into effect on March 1, 2015 and it does away with the familiar inspection sticker most Texas drivers are accustomed to receiving when we have our cars and trucks inspected each year. The goal, starting March 1st is to combine inspection sticker with our vehicle registration sticker.
Last year, I wrote a post, Insurance Apps & Insurer’s Use of Your Questions (see http://50.87.248.161/~wiseinsu/insurance-apps-insurers-use-of-your-questions/) where I outlined two insurance related bills the Texas Legislature passed. One bill allows Texas drivers to carry proof of insurance on their smart phone, the other bill barred insurance companies from using customer inquiries to cancel or non-renew, or to increase their premiums.
People who live in the counties along the Texas coast usually have a policy that’s unfamiliar to most homeowners in north Texas. In addition to home insurance, most homeowners in the coastal counties of Texas will also have a separate wind insurance policy. This policy specifically addresses damage to a home caused by high winds normally associated with a hurricane.
On the afternoon of April 17, 2013 a fire broke out at the West Fertilizer Company in West, Texas, a town located a little more than an hour’s drive south of Dallas and Fort Worth on Interstate 35. The first responders to the fire included 10 members of the West Volunteer Fire Department, along with 2 other people who pitched in to help. At 7:50 that evening, an explosion rocked the West Fertilizer Company killing 15 people including the 12 people who responded to the fire and injuring about 200 people in town.
The Texas Legislature wrapped up their business earlier this year with 4 new laws all Texas drivers need to know about. The laws are intended to save lives and make our road ways safer for drivers and our kids. All of them went into effect on September 1.
The Texas State legislature passed the original Move Over law in 2003. It was designed to protect all law enforcement officers, emergency vehicles, and first responders from being struck by a driver when working on the side of a road or highway. The law requires any driver approaching a stopped emergency vehicle with lights activated to slow down or move over one lane.
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