SB 173

bill waiving registration for light farm trailers, some plate fees

Filed

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review

Initial review · graded Nov 9, 2026 · How we grade

Caption

relating to fees for the issuance of certain specialty license plates and an exemption from vehicle registration for certain trailers, semitrailers, tractors, and implements of husbandry.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Farm trailers 4,000 pounds or less skip registration. Starts 2027.

The bill lets owners skip registering light farm trailers and semitrailers (4,000 pounds or less), farm tractors and farm implements when they use them on highways only temporarily. It also drops the plate fee for several specialty license plates, including the volunteer firefighter and fire protection personnel plates, and adds one more plate category that comes without the registration fee. Farmers moving equipment short-term and certain plate holders, such as firefighters, pay less, starting September 1, 2027.

Labels

Labels: BACK FROM THE DEAD. Same text as a bill filed before that died: 89R SB 2705 (Did not pass). Filed in 2 sessions, counting this one. Checked against 88R and 89R only.TRY NO. 2. Filed in 2 sessions: 89R and 90R. Checked against 88R and 89R only.

Receipt

The receipt

90R-SB173 · 2026-11-09

SOLD BY

Sen. Brent HagenbuchRSenate 30

ITEM

relating to fees for the issuance of certain specialty license plates and an exemption from vehicle registration for certain trailers, semitrailers, tractors, and implements of husbandry.

WHAT IT DOES

Farm trailers 4,000 pounds or less skip registration. Starts 2027.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

Nov 9, 2026Received by the Secretary of the Senate
Nov 9, 2026Filed

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Brent Hagenbuch

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$50K Denton County Republican Lincoln Cabinet PAC$25KJohn Kleinheinz$25,000

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

Derived itemized flow · Oct 27, 2024 to Jun 15, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$50,000.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$50,000.00

Cash: $50,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $50,000.00

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 23, 2025 to Sep 8, 2025. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101010787, 101032653.

Denton County Republican Lincoln Cabinet PAC$25,000.00

Denton County Republican Lincoln Cabinet PAC

$25,000.00

Cash: $25,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $25,000.00

Also funds 1 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Apr 8, 2026 to Apr 21, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Apr 21, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101058859.

John Kleinheinz$25,000.00

Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$50,000.00

Cash: $50,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $50,000.00

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 23, 2025 to Sep 8, 2025. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101010787, 101032653.

Denton County Republican Lincoln Cabinet PAC

$25,000.00

Cash: $25,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $25,000.00

Also funds 1 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Apr 8, 2026 to Apr 21, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Apr 21, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101058859.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by a super-expensive superintelligence, Nov 9, 2026, against the published rubric.

FILED BEFORE

Filed 2 times: 89R and now. Checked against 88R and 89R only.

89R SB 2705

by Sen. Hagenbuch, same lead author · Did not pass · same text

Introduced text

Last action, May 26, 2025: Placed on General State Calendar

Relating to fees for the issuance of certain specialty license plates and an exemption from vehicle registration for certain trailers, semitrailers, tractors, and implements of husbandry.

Caption, 89R bill history

Sources

Texas Senate · Filed Nov 9, 2026

11/09/2026 S Filed

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

Data snapshot Nov 10, 2026 at 2:40 AM CST. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Subjects

Agriculture

Fire Fighters & Police--General

Vehicles & Traffic--Vehicle Registration

LICENSE PLATES

TRAILERS

Text

The text as introduced · 359 words

By: Hagenbuch
S.B. No. 173

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to fees for the issuance of certain specialty license

plates and an exemption from vehicle registration for certain

trailers, semitrailers, tractors, and implements of husbandry.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 502, Transportation Code,

is amended by adding Section 502.147 to read as follows:

Sec. 502.147. CERTAIN FARM TRAILERS, FARM SEMITRAILERS,

FARM TRACTORS, AND IMPLEMENTS OF HUSBANDRY. An owner is not

required to register a farm trailer or farm semitrailer with a gross

weight of 4,000 pounds or less or a farm tractor or an implement of

husbandry if the trailer, semitrailer, tractor, or implement is

operated only temporarily on the highways.

SECTION 2. Section 504.3015(a), Transportation Code, is

amended to read as follows:

(a) A person applying for a set of license plates under this

subchapter shall pay the registration fee required under Chapter

502 and the applicable special plate fee required under this

section, except that one set of license plates shall be issued

without the payment of the registration fee under:

(1) Section 504.308;

(2) Section 504.310(b);

(3) Section 504.315, other than Subsections (c) and

(q) of that section; [ and ]

(4) Section 504.316; and

(5) Section 504.319.

SECTION 3. Section 504.512, Transportation Code, is amended

by adding Subsection (b) to read as follows:

(b) There is no fee for issuance of the license plates.

SECTION 4. Section 504.513, Transportation Code, is amended

by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (c) to read as

follows:

(a) The department shall issue specialty license plates

for:

(1) volunteer firefighters certified by:

(A) the Texas Commission on Fire Protection; or

(B) the State Firefighters' [ Firemen's ] and Fire

Marshals' Association of Texas; and

(2) fire protection personnel as that term is defined

by Section 419.021, Government Code.

(c) There is no fee for issuance of the license plates.

SECTION 5. Section 504.516, Transportation Code, is amended

by adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:

(c) There is no fee for issuance of the license plates.

SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2027.