BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1778

By: Hinojosa

Transportation

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) may issue specialty license plates for a variety of professional sports teams, including a National Football League (NFL), National Basketball Association (NBA), National Hockey League (NHL), and Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Missing from this list are teams in the Major League Soccer (MLS), of which Texas has three: Dallas FC, Houston Dynamo FC, and Austin FC. A growing number of Texans have asked for the opportunity to express their team pride through specialty license plates. H.B. 1778 facilitates this request by authorizing TxDMV to issue specialty license plates bearing the name and insignia of professional sports teams in the Major League Soccer that play in a stadium either constructed or owned in part by a public entity. 

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. 1778 amends the Transportation Code to include among the sports teams that may be issued a professional sports team specialty license plate, a professional sports team that certifies to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles that it meets certain requirements for the issuance of specialty license plates and plays its home games in a facility that is owned, in whole or in part, by a public entity. The bill expands the definition of "professional sports team" for purposes of the distribution of specialty licenses plates to include a sports team that is a member or an affiliate of a member of Major League Soccer.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.