BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 628
88R8369 DRS-D	By: Harris, Cody; Gamez (Nichols)
	Transportation
	5/4/2023
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

H.B. 628 seeks to honor fallen law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty and their families by requiring the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) to issue specialty license plates recognizing these officers and by providing for the fees for the issuance of the license plates to be used to provide financial assistance to the survivors of fallen peace officers killed in the line of duty.

H.B. 628 amends the Transportation Code to require the TxDMV to issue specialty license plates to honor law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. The bill requires the license plates to include the following:

� the words "A Hero Remembered Never Dies";

� the words "Honoring Law Enforcement"; and

� a depiction of a badge covered by a black mourning band.

The remainder of the fee for issuance of the license plates, after deduction of TxDMV administrative costs, must be deposited to the credit of an account in a trust fund created by the Comptroller of Public Accounts of the State of Texas outside the general revenue fund. Money deposited to that account may be used only by the Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) to provide financial assistance to surviving family members of peace officers killed in the line of duty under Government Code provisions governing such assistance by ERS. The bill exempts a specialty license plate issued under the bill from statutory provisions establishing filing deadlines and deposits for certain specialty license plates authorized for issuance after January 1, 1999.

H.B. 628 amends current law relating to issuance of specialty license plates to honor fallen law enforcement officers.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter G, Chapter 504, Transportation Code, by adding Section 504.680, as follows:

Sec. 504.680.� FALLEN LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER LICENSE PLATES.� (a) Requires the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) to issue specialty license plates to honor law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. Requires that the license plates include:

(1)� the words "A Hero Remembered Never Dies";

(2)� the words "Honoring Law Enforcement"; and

(3)� a depiction of a badge covered by a black mourning band.

(b)� Requires that the remainder of the fee for issuance of the license plates, after deduction of TxDMV administrative costs, be deposited to the credit of an account created by the Comptroller of Public Accounts of the State of Texas (comptroller) in the manner provided by Section 504.6012(b) (relating to requiring the portion of a fee payable that is designated for deposit to a dedicated account to be paid instead to the credit of an account in a trust fund created by the comptroller outside the general revenue fund). Authorizes money deposited to that account to be used only by the Employees Retirement System of Texas to provide financial assistance to surviving family members of peace officers killed in the line of duty under Chapter 615 (Financial Assistance to Survivors of Certain Law Enforcement Officers, Fire Fighters, and Others), Government Code.

(c)� Provides that Section 504.702 (Specialty License Plates Authorized After January 1, 1999) does not apply to a specialty license plate issued under this section.

SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2023.