1-1     By:  Wise, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Lucio)            H.B. No. 2198

 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 16, 1997;

 1-3     May 16, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on Finance;

 1-4     May 18, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 12,

 1-5     Nays 0; May 18, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to the issuance of Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug

 1-9     Abuse license plates.

1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-11           SECTION 1.  Subchapter F, Chapter 502, Transportation Code,

1-12     is amended by adding Section 502.293 to read as follows:

1-13           Sec. 502.293.  TEXAS COMMISSION ON ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE

1-14     LICENSE PLATES.  (a)  The department shall issue specially designed

1-15     Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse license plates for

1-16     passenger cars and light trucks.

1-17           (b)  The department shall design the license plates in

1-18     consultation with the Boy Scouts of America.

1-19           (c)  The department shall issue license plates under this

1-20     section to a person who:

1-21                 (1)  applies to the county assessor-collector of the

1-22     county in which the person resides on a form provided by the

1-23     department; and

1-24                 (2)  pays an annual fee of $30, in addition to the fee

1-25     prescribed by Section 502.161, and, if personalized prestige

1-26     license plates are issued, in addition to the fee prescribed by

1-27     Section 502.251.

1-28           (d)  Of each fee collected under this section, the department

1-29     shall deposit $20 to the credit of the general revenue fund and $10

1-30     to the credit of the state highway fund.

1-31           (e)  Money deposited to the credit of the general revenue

1-32     fund under Subsection (d) may be appropriated only to the Texas

1-33     Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse for drug-abuse prevention

1-34     programs provided by nonprofit organizations that primarily serve

1-35     children.  In selecting a program provider under this subsection,

1-36     it is the intent of the legislature that to the extent permissible,

1-37     a preference be given to a provider whose membership substantially

1-38     consists of persons who purchase the specially designed license

1-39     plates under this section.

1-40           (f)  If the owner of a vehicle registered under this section

1-41     disposes of the vehicle during the registration year, the owner

1-42     shall return the special license plates to the department.

1-43           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-44           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-45     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-46     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-47     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-48     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

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