BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1863

By: Bucy

Transportation

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

As of 2018, the average cost of a wish granted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation is around $7,500. Although there are several Make-A-Wish chapters in Texas, there is still a large gap between the number of wishes granted and the number of children referred to the organization. Given that the Make-A-Wish Foundation generates strength and hope within the children for whom a wish is granted, there have been calls for the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to provide for the issuance of Make-A-Wish specialty license plates, the revenue of which will be made available to grant wishes of children in Texas. H.B. 1863 seeks to remedy this situation by providing for the issuance of Make-A-Wish specialty license plates.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 1863 amends the Transportation Code to require the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) to issue specialty license plates that include the words "Make-A-Wish" and to design the plates in consultation with a Texas chapter of Make-A-Wish. The bill requires the remainder of the fee for issuance of the license plates, after deduction of TxDMV administrative costs, to be deposited to the credit of an account created by the comptroller of public accounts outside the general revenue fund. Money deposited to the account may be used only by the Health and Human Services Commission to make grants to a nonprofit organization that has a history of granting wishes for children diagnosed with a critical illness for the purpose of granting those wishes.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2021.