Overregulation of retailers and consumers cited as reason for veto
(June 16, 2017) Yesterday, Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed HB 1859, the so-called RTO “Kiosk” bill. The bill was one of only 50 to be vetoed by the Governor out of 1500+ bills passed in the regular session that ended May 29.
In his veto proclamation, which is required by law to be issued when a bill is being vetoed, Gov. Abbott stated the following: House Bill 1859 overregulates both retailers and their customers. It would require retail stores to impose elaborate and duplicative paperwork on customers who are interested in rent-to-own agreements. The bill also favors some retailers over others. Its burdensome new requirements would apply only to stores that do not specialize in rent-to-own agreements. TARA (Texas Association of Rental Agencies) supported the bill during the regular session, which sought to amend the Texas Rental-Purchase Agreement Act by establishing new disclosure provisions for rent-to-own transactions conducted within retail stores. The measure is not expected to become a part of the special session of the Legislature that begins July 18 in Austin.
