BILL ANALYSIS S.B. 832 By: Wentworth State Affairs 3-10-95 Committee Report (Amended) 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 grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. 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.