Well that's interesting.

75AG said:

---

Legislature passes bill eliminating annual auto inspections, effective Sept 1st (if Abbott signs it).

Edited to add: does not apply to commercial vehicles.

---

Wondering if this will help reduce the number of paper plates? Not sure but feels like we are fighting a raging fire with only buckets of water on that one.

Not sure this will affect paper plates. But someone might.

I have a vehicle due inspection by the end of the month. I bet the upsell will be terrible when I go in.

I am going to wait til Saturday and do yard work, then show up trying to pay in quarters and wrinkled $1 bills.

Last time I took my wife's car for an inspection, I had a banquet. I was wearing a suit & tie. They tried to fail me for everything. Even headlights on a few years old vehicle.

Knowing they will have to close, I am showing up looking rough.

News stories I am reading state this is going back to the House based on a Senate amendment. Also would not be effective until January 2025.

https://www.star-telegram.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article275661381.html

Here's the article from today's Houston Chronicle. Legislature's website (hasn't been updated today) shows it passing the senate. Bill still says effective date 9/1/23.

https://digital.olivesoftware.com/olive/odn/houstonchronicle/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=HHC%2F2023%2F05%2F23&entity=Ar00100&sk=79D75EE0&mode=text

75AG said:

---

Legislature passes bill eliminating annual auto inspections, effective Sept 1st (if Abbott signs it).

Edited to add: does not apply to commercial vehicles.

---

That's great! One of the two houses passed this last session, but the other didn't get around to it. I didn't realize it came back up again this session!

Sorry. Wrong reply

Law enforcement wants two plates. Might be tough to overcome.

75AG said:

---

Here's the article from today's Houston Chronicle. Legislature's website (hasn't been updated today) shows it passing the senate. Bill still says effective date 9/1/23.

https://digital.olivesoftware.com/olive/odn/houstonchronicle/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=HHC%2F2023%2F05%2F23&entity=Ar00100&sk=79D75EE0&mode=text

---

Has to go back to the House. Adopted Senate amendment (language was just posted this morning) changed the start date to 9/1/2025 from 2023. I don't see any reason the House would reject that amendment

Thanks for the clarification

About time

Koko Chingo said:

---

I have a vehicle due inspection by the end of the month. I bet the upsell will be terrible when I go in.

I am going to wait til Saturday and do yard work, then show up trying to pay in quarters and wrinkled $1 bills.

Last time I took my wife's car for an inspection, I had a banquet. I was wearing a suit & tie. They tried to fail me for everything. Even headlights on a few years old vehicle.

Knowing they will have to close, I am showing up looking rough.

---

Or you could go in like a normal person and simply say "no thanks" to any upsells. But you do you.

The only upsell I've ever run into was actually the headlight polish/de-glazing, "can I pass this year without it" - "yes" - "ok then, no thanks" /end

At least they passed something. Seems the house is throwing a tantrum of sorts and is basically stalling to not vote on stuff. I'm waiting on SB 829

It's not on the intent calendar. Gonna be tough this late in session.

I'm not holding my breath.

75AG said:

---

It's not on the intent calendar. Gonna be tough this late in session.

---

I think it was on the items eligible, which i thought they were on.

C'mon people! This would have allowed cottage bakers to sell cheesecake and all pies (including custard and meringue) (among other things that affect us and our businesses- but that is the big one that affects customers).

Correction- they are currently on page 5 of the supplemental calendar. SB 829 is at the top of page 8 on today's supplemental calendar for the House.

Here's hoping they are staying until midnight like last night. I can handle it if we lose the vote but to not even get there would majorly suck.

And they played political games until the end and we didn't even get a vote

8. Bills. Away.

They didn't even flippin make it half way through because someone panties got in a wad about climate change and insurance companies

This is why I am happy not to have a yearly inspection. Businesses just try to make money on people when there is noting really wrong with your car. I do wonder what counties that do emissions will do?

555-PINF said:

---

NateDog said:

---

Koko Chingo said:

---

I have a vehicle due inspection by the end of the month. I bet the upsell will be terrible when I go in.

I am going to wait til Saturday and do yard work, then show up trying to pay in quarters and wrinkled $1 bills.

Last time I took my wife's car for an inspection, I had a banquet. I was wearing a suit & tie. They tried to fail me for everything. Even headlights on a few years old vehicle.

Knowing they will have to close, I am showing up looking rough.

---

Or you could go in like a normal person and simply say "no thanks" to any upsells. But you do you.

The only upsell I've ever run into was actually the headlight polish/de-glazing, "can I pass this year without it" - "yes" - "ok then, no thanks" /end

---

Except when they fail your vehicle for something that isn't bad and say "your wipers are bad and we've already put it in the system, so you can't just go somewhere else and try again." I found out last night that a Jiffy Lube type of place in CS pulled this on my wife last year. She was in a hurry, so she just had to eat it and pay. I keep both of our vehicles maintained, so I 100% know they weren't bad in any way.

---

You can file a complaint with TDLR if that happens.

MyNameIsJeff said:

---

Cool. Now get rid of front license plate requirements. Haven't had one on any vehicle since I lived in Florida in 2016.

---

Yea that front tag adds a lot of wind resistance and turbulence.

doubledog said:

---

MyNameIsJeff said:

---

Cool. Now get rid of front license plate requirements. Haven't had one on any vehicle since I lived in Florida in 2016.

---

Yea that front tag adds a lot of wind resistance and turbulence.

---

Front tags do provide a very nice reflector for cops with Lidar.

Lack of a front plate gives an easy excuse for cops to stop certain models of car, which, despite being required by the Transportation Code, seem to almost always be sold without one. (Corvettes are a big one).

No more safety inspections would actually take away one of the tools cops use to crack down on fraudulent temp tags issued by "tag mill" dealers (like the one in Houston who issued more temp tags in one month than all of the CarMax dealers in the state, combined.) Fraudulent tags from shady tag mill dealers are a different problem than straight up fake temp tags.

The way cops can currently do this works like this: Officer Friendly in his patrol car sees a tamp tag he suspects is shady. He runs the tag, it shows as being valid. He pulls the VIN from the return, runs that through the inspection database, finds that the car (or at least the VIN associated with the tag) hasn't been inspected since 2019. Either way, Officer Friendly now has a legal reason to stop the vehicle.

555-PINF said:

---

NateDog said:

---

Koko Chingo said:

---

I have a vehicle due inspection by the end of the month. I bet the upsell will be terrible when I go in.

I am going to wait til Saturday and do yard work, then show up trying to pay in quarters and wrinkled $1 bills.

Last time I took my wife's car for an inspection, I had a banquet. I was wearing a suit & tie. They tried to fail me for everything. Even headlights on a few years old vehicle.

Knowing they will have to close, I am showing up looking rough.

---

Or you could go in like a normal person and simply say "no thanks" to any upsells. But you do you.

The only upsell I've ever run into was actually the headlight polish/de-glazing, "can I pass this year without it" - "yes" - "ok then, no thanks" /end

---

Except when they fail your vehicle for something that isn't bad and say "your wipers are bad and we've already put it in the system, so you can't just go somewhere else and try again." I found out last night that a Jiffy Lube type of place in CS pulled this on my wife last year. She was in a hurry, so she just had to eat it and pay. I keep both of our vehicles maintained, so I 100% know they weren't bad in any way.

---

Sorry, thought this was a Quicker Sticker thread.

75AG said:

---

Law enforcement wants two plates. Might be tough to overcome.

---

Though it is annoying how deferential the legislature is to the wishes of law enforcement, it is possible to overcome. Recall how vocally opposed law enforcement was to concealed carry, open carry, campus carry, permitless carry, and all the various bills passed along the way that made carry (especially concealed) easier such as renew by mail, shortening/eliminating the classes, expanding where one can carry, making printing no longer illegal, etc.

The front plate serves next to no purpose and I agree it should be eliminated. Lots of states function great withonly a single plate and its not like LE is significantly impeded in those areas.

Smeghead4761 said:

---

doubledog said:

---

MyNameIsJeff said:

---

Cool. Now get rid of front license plate requirements. Haven't had one on any vehicle since I lived in Florida in 2016.

---

Yea that front tag adds a lot of wind resistance and turbulence.

---

The way cops can currently do this works like this: Officer Friendly in his patrol car sees a tamp tag he suspects is shady. He runs the tag, it shows as being valid. He pulls the VIN from the return, runs that through the inspection database, finds that the car (or at least the VIN associated with the tag) hasn't been inspected since 2019. Either way, Officer Friendly now has a legal reason to stop the vehicle.

---

I mean, it shouldn't even really be legal to do all that unless the car/driver is doing something illegal. The idea of the police being able to conduct random searches "just because" without having some reason always seemed to go against the intent of prohibiting unreasonable searches and seizures.

75AG said:

---

This is a good example of how the Texas Legislature, in 140 days every two years, can change or put you out of business. I lobbied the Texas Legislature for over 20 years and find it interesting how much time and effort are spent on national politics. Those are obviously important, but the real action takes place with citizen legislators over a very short period of time in Austin.

---

It's also a good example of the incremental movement the Legislature makes and how long it takes to get "full" legislation passed.

Texas 2 Step (removal of inspection stickers/paying the state directly for half the inspection fee) that went into effect in 2015 set this bill up. By having the state collect their fees directly, there's no fiscal impact to the state budget through new systems or lost revenue.