SRC-HRD H.B. 2681 75(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center H.B. 2681 By: Hawley (Lindsay) Finance 5-13-97 Engrossed DIGEST The Keep Texas Beautiful Proud Community Program establishes a standard for annual approval and recognition of Texas communities with ongoing litter prevention and beautification efforts. Creating a special Keep Texas Beautiful license plate would help fund community improvement programs in Texas. H.B. 2681 would create a special license plate issued by the Texas Department of Transportation for the "Keep Texas Beautiful" Program. The $50 annual fee will be dedicated to a special nonlapsing fund, to be known as the Keep Texas Beautiful trust fund, created under this bill. The money in the trust fund will be transferred to Keep Texas Beautiful, Inc. PURPOSE As proposed, H.B. 2681 creates a special license plate issued by the Texas Department of Transportation for the "Keep Texas Beautiful" Program; and provides that $50 annual fee will be dedicated to the Keep Texas Beautiful trust fund and be transferred to Keep Texas Beautiful, Inc. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 502F, Transportation Code, by adding Section 502.2731, as follows: Sec. 502.2731. KEEP TEXAS BEAUTIFUL LICENSE PLATES. Requires the Department of Transportation (department) to issue specially designed license plates for passenger cars and light commercial motor vehicles having a manufacturer's rated carrying capacity of one ton or less that include the words "Keep Texas Beautiful" and are of a color, quality, and design approved by Keep Texas Beautiful, Inc. Requires the department to issue license plates under this section to certain persons. Provides that there is created in the general revenue fund a special nonlapsing fund to be known as the Keep Texas Beautiful trust fund. Requires money deposited in the fund to be dedicated to the purposes set forth in Subsection (h). Requires money in the fund to be held in interest-bearing account in public depositories authorized by law and provides that the money may be invested and reinvested in such securities as are approved by the state. Provides that interest earned and other money from appropriated funds and any other source deposited into the Keep Texas Beautiful trust fund becomes a part of the fund and available as prescribed for the fund. (d) Requires the department to deposit the remainder of each fee collected under this section in the state treasury to the credit of the Keep Texas Beautiful trust fund. (e) Requires the department to deposit the remainder of each fee collected under this section after deposit as provided by Subsection (d) in the state treasury to the credit of the state highway fund to be used only to defray the cost of administering this section. (f) Sets forth provisions applicable if the license plates are lost, stolen, or mutilated. Sets forth provisions applicable if the owner of a vehicle for which license plates were issued under this section disposes of the vehicle during a registration year. (g) Provides that there is no limit to the number of passenger cars and light commercial motor vehicles for which the person may apply for the issuance of license plates under this section. (h) Sets forth provisions regarding the allocation of money deposited in the trust fund. Sets forth provisions regarding the transference of money from the trust fund to Keep Texas Beautiful, Inc. SECTION 2. Amends Section 502.252, Transportation Code, to set forth certain authorizations for a person applying for license plates under Section 502.2731, among other sections. SECTION 3. Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.