BILL ANALYSIS



S.B. 832
By: Wentworth (Alexander)
04-26-95
Committee Report (Unamended)


BACKGROUND

The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) was created under
federal law and is the only authorized representative of the United
States in the Olympic Games and the Pan-American Games.  This
federal law, its constitution, and its by-laws provide that the
USOC is a Section 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation dedicated to the
promotion of the Olympic Games, the promotion of U.S. amateur
athletes through the setting of national goals for athletic
activity, assistance with development of amateur athletic programs
and amateur athletes who are women or of racial minorities or are
disabled, and to encourage research in sports medicine and sports
safety, among similarly focused purposes.

Of the 184 nations participating in the Olympics, the United States
is the only one whose team receives no sustaining funds from its
federal government.  USOC literature states that 82 cents of every
dollar given to the Olympics is spent directly on athletic
programs.  The USOC has been ranked nationally in the top eight
charities in terms of financial efficiency and program support.

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.B. 832 provides for the issuance of special U.S.
Olympic Committee license plates.

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.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Article 6675a-1, V.T.C.S., by adding Section 5q,
as follows:

     Sec. 5q.  (a) Requires the State Department of Highways and
     Public Transportation (department) to provide for the issuance
     of special United States Olympic Committee (committee) plates
     for passenger cars and light commercial motor vehicles
     (vehicles) having a manufacturer's rated carrying capacity of
     one ton or less.
     
     (b) Sets forth requirements for the form and language of the
       plates.
       
       (c) Requires the department to issue plates to a person who
       meets certain criteria.
       
       (d) Authorizes a person applying for plates to have a number
       assigned or apply for personalized prestige license plates.
       
       (e) Sets forth the fees for the special plates.
       
       (f) Creates in the state's general revenues a nonlapsing
       fund to be known as the U.S. Olympics trust fund--Texas
       (fund).  Requires money deposited in the fund to be
       dedicated to the purposes set forth in Subsection (k). 
       Requires money to be held in interest-bearing accounts in
       public depositories and may be invested and reinvested in
       state-approved securities.  Provides that interest earned or
       other money appropriated or deposited into the fund becomes
       a part of the fund and available for use.
       
       (g) Requires the department to deposit $45 of each fee in
       the state treasury to the credit of the fund.
       
       (h) Requires the department to deposit the remainder of each
       fee collected after deposit as provided by Subsection (g) to
       the state highway fund's credit to be used only to defray
       the cost of administering this section.  
       
       (i) Authorizes the vehicle owner, if the plates are lost,
       stolen, or mutilated, to obtain replacement plates by paying
       a fee of $5.  Requires the person to return the special
       plates if the owner of a vehicle for which plates were
       issued disposes of the vehicle during a registration year.
       
       (j) Provides that there is no limit to the number of
       vehicles for which the person may apply for issuance of
       plates.
       
       (k) Requires money deposited in the fund to be allocated to
       the committee to be used by the committee, 50 percent for
       the training and development of Texas Olympians and Olympic
       hopeful athletes and 50 percent for the training and
       development of other United States amateur athletes and
       Olympians.  Requires the money to be transferred from the
       fund to the committee no more than once per calendar year.
SECTION 2. Emergency clause.
           Effective date:  90 days after adjournment.

SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE ACTION

Pursuant to a public notice posted on April 21, 1995, at 4:04 p.m.,
the House Committee on Transportation met in a public hearing on
Wednesday, April 26, 1995, at 2:00 p.m., or upon adjournment, in
Room E1.014 of the Capitol Extension and was called to order at
6:13 p.m. by the Chair, Representative Clyde Alexander.  The Chair
laid out S.B. 832 and recognized Representative Alexander to
explain S.B. 832.  The Chair recognized the following person who
testified in support of S.B. 832: Ron Sylvan, Southwest Regional
Director United States Olympic Committee.  The Chair recognized the
following person who testified but was neutral on S.B. 832: Jim
Bisson, Texas Department of Transportation.  There were no
witnesses testifying in opposition to S.B. 832.  Representative
Clemons moved that the Committee report S.B. 832, without
amendments, to the full House with the recommendation that it do
pass.  The motion prevailed by the following vote: Ayes (6), Nayes
(0), Absent (3), Present not voting (0).