BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 108

By: Cortez

Transportation

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

A constituent whose wife is a retired teacher noted that, although teachers are an essential part of our state and they deserve recognition, there are currently no specialty license plates available specifically for Texas public educators. H.B. 108 seeks to address this issue by directing the Texas Department of Transportation to issue specialty license plates to Texas teachers with at least 15 years of experience and to retired Texas teachers with at least 20 years of experience.

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. 108 amends the Transportation Code to require the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) to issue specialty license plates for classroom teachers with at least 15 years of service teaching public school students and for retired classroom teachers who were formerly employed as classroom teachers, are retirees of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas, and have at least 20 years of service teaching public school students. The license plates must include the words "Texas Teacher" or "Retired Texas Teacher," as applicable, and depict a Texas public education logo. The bill requires TxDMV to design the license plates in consultation with the Texas Education Agency and to set fees for the issuance of the license plates. In certain circumstances, the bill exempts a vehicle displaying either license plate from a parking fee that is collected through a parking meter charged by a governmental authority other than the federal government.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.