The bill would amend Subchapter G, Chapter 504 of the Transportation Code to require the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) to issue specialty license plates to honor law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. The bill would stipulate that the fee for issuance of the plates, after deduction for TxDMV administrative costs, is to be deposited to an account created by the Comptroller in the License Plate Trust Fund and may only be used by the Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) to provide financial assistance to surviving family members of peace officers under Government Code, Chapter 615. The bill would take effect on September 1, 2023.
Note: This legislation would do one or more of the following: create or recreate a dedicated account in the General Revenue Fund, create or recreate a special or trust fund either in, with, or outside the Treasury, or create a dedicated revenue source. The fund, account, or revenue dedication included in this bill would be subject to funds consolidation review by the current Legislature.
Based on information provided by TxDMV and ERS, it is assumed any costs or duties associated with implementing the provisions of the bill could be absorbed within the agencies' existing resources. The fee for issuance of a specialty license plate under Subchapter G, Chapter 504 of the Transportation Code is $30.00. Out of this amount $7.50 would be deposited to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles Fund for TxDMV administrative costs, $0.50 would be retained by the counties for administrative costs, and the remaining $22.00 would be deposited to the License Plate Trust Fund, pursuant to Transportation Code, Section 504.6012, for use by ERS as authorized by the bill. Based on the information and analysis provided by TxDMV, it is assumed the issuance of the new specialty plate would not result in a significant fiscal impact to the State.
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.