1-1 By: Turner of Coleman (Senate Sponsor - Lucio) H.B. No. 685 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House May 8, 1997; 1-3 May 9, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on State 1-4 Affairs; May 18, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote: 1-5 Yeas 12, Nays 0; May 18, 1997, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to issuance of special license plates for a vehicle used 1-9 to transport a person with a disability. 1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-11 SECTION 1. Section 502.253, Transportation Code, is amended 1-12 by adding Subsection (h) to read as follows: 1-13 (h) A person entitled to register a vehicle under this 1-14 section is entitled to a set of special license plates under this 1-15 section for each motorcycle, passenger car, or light truck owned by 1-16 the person that is equipped with special equipment that: 1-17 (1) is designed to allow a person who has lost the use 1-18 of one or both of the person's legs to operate the vehicle; and 1-19 (2) is not standard equipment on that type of vehicle 1-20 for use by a person who has use of both of the person's legs. 1-21 SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only 1-22 to a registration period beginning on or after the effective date 1-23 of this Act. A registration period beginning before the effective 1-24 date of this Act is governed by the law in effect when the 1-25 registration period began, and the former law is continued in 1-26 effect for that purpose. 1-27 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. 1-28 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 1-29 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-30 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-31 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-32 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 1-33 * * * * *