Committee parks window-tint exemption bill after debate over fairness, enforcement

A House committee paused action on House Bill 314 after sustained debate about fairness, enforcement and constitutional concerns over proposed exemptions to window-tint enforcement.

Representative Butler, the bill sponsor, told the committee HB 314 "amends the law to add for the window tint. It would add, county prosecutors and municipal prosecutors as well," and said he expected additional amendments. Multiple amendments were read and adopted in committee that broaden or clarify which public officials would be covered.

Several members questioned the fairness and practical enforcement of the exemptions. Representative Perez asked how the rule would work when an exempt person's spouse drives the vehicle, saying, "This is gonna be unconstitutional because when you say you can drive it, but your wife can't." Other members and one speaker with trooper experience urged that the statute not create unequal treatment for ordinary citizens.

After discussion about which amendments had been adopted and whether to recall any language, the chair said the committee would not kill the bill but would "put this in a subcommittee not to kill it" and carry it over at the call of the chair so staff could gather information about other states and fairness issues.

The committee did not record a final favorable or unfavorable report in the transcript; the bill was placed in subcommittee for further work.