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Senate Bill 1616 |
Senate Author: Wentworth |
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Effective: 9-1-09 |
House Sponsor: Phillips |
Senate Bill 1616 amends the Transportation Code to specify that the statutory fee for a souvenir license plate or a new specialty license plate created by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is for such a license plate issued before September 1, 2009, and that the fee for such a license plate issued on or after that date is the amount that the Texas Transportation Commission establishes by rule. The bill authorizes the sponsor of a specialty license plate authorized for general distribution before September 1, 2009, to contract with the private vendor under contract with TxDOT by law for the marketing and sale of the license plate, and establishes that the fee for issuance of the license plate is the amount that the commission establishes by rule, rather than $30. The bill provides for the fee to be distributed to TxDOT, to the account designated by law, and to the private vendor. The bill also authorizes the sponsor of a specialty license plate created by TxDOT before September 1, 2009, to contract with the private vendor for the marketing and sale of the license plate. The bill provides for the fee to be established by commission rule and to be distributed in the same way as the fee for new specialty license plates created by TxDOT, except that fee revenue is deposited to the credit of the general revenue fund, rather than the state highway fund, if the sponsor did not nominate a state agency to receive the funds or if there is no sponsor.
The bill prohibits TxDOT from issuing specialty, personalized, or souvenir license plates with background colors other than white unless the plates are marketed and sold by the private vendor. The bill specifies that provisions requiring the commission by rule to establish fees for the issuance or renewal of personalized license plates that are marketed and sold by the private vendor do not apply to the sale at auction of a specialty plate or personalized specialty plate that is not used on a motor vehicle. The bill requires TxDOT to issue specialty license plates for fire protection personnel, as that term is defined by law, and sets the fee for issuance of the license plates. The bill also requires TxDOT to issue specialty license plates to support victims of sexual assault, and requires fee revenue, after deduction of TxDOT's administrative costs, to be deposited to the credit of the sexual assault program fund established by law.
Senate Bill 1616 adds provisions that apply to all personalized license plates issued before September 1, 2009, that are marketed and sold by the private vendor. The bill specifies that the fee for issuance of such plates is $40 unless the executive director of TxDOT adopts by rule a higher fee. The bill authorizes a person who is issued the plates to submit an application and pay the required fee for each subsequent registration period or purchase through the private vendor a license to display the alphanumeric pattern on a license plate for any term allowed by law. The bill prohibits TxDOT from issuing a replacement set of plates to the same person before the sixth anniversary of the date of issuance unless the person pays an additional fee of $30. The bill requires $1.25 of each fee for the plates to be used to defray administrative costs and the remainder to be deposited to the credit of the general revenue fund. Senate Bill 1616 also authorizes a private vendor to sell at auction a license to display a unique alphanumeric pattern on a license plate, and authorizes only a license to display an alphanumeric pattern purchased at auction or a license to display an alphanumeric pattern sold by the private vendor to be transferred to another person. The bill entitles the transferee to the same rights and privileges as the transferor, and requires the transferee to notify TxDOT of the transfer. The bill authorizes TxDOT to set a fee to be paid by the transferee for the transfer. The bill also repeals provisions requiring TxDOT to issue personalized license plates, and makes a conforming change to provisions authorizing any specialty license plate to be personalized.