1-1 By: Hartnett (Senate Sponsor - Wentworth) H.B. No. 3250 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 Finance; 1-4 May 16, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 11, 1-5 Nays 0; May 16, 1997, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to dog and cat sterilization and the issuance of Animal 1-9 Friendly license plates. 1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-11 SECTION 1. Chapter 828, Health and Safety Code, is amended 1-12 by adding Sections 828.014 and 828.015 to read as follows: 1-13 Sec. 828.014. ANIMAL FRIENDLY ACCOUNT. (a) The Texas 1-14 Department of Health animal friendly account is a separate account 1-15 in the general revenue fund. The account is composed of: 1-16 (1) money deposited to the credit of the account under 1-17 Section 502.291, Transportation Code; and 1-18 (2) gifts, grants, donations, and legislative 1-19 appropriations. 1-20 (b) The Texas Department of Health administers the account. 1-21 The department may spend money credited to the account: 1-22 (1) only after at least $500,000 has been credited to 1-23 the account; and 1-24 (2) only to: 1-25 (A) make grants to eligible organizations that 1-26 sterilize animals owned by the general public at minimal or no 1-27 cost; and 1-28 (B) defray the cost of administering the 1-29 account. 1-30 (c) The Texas Board of Health: 1-31 (1) may accept gifts, donations, and grants from any 1-32 source for the benefit of the account; and 1-33 (2) by rule shall establish guidelines for spending 1-34 money credited to the account. 1-35 (d) In this section "eligible organization" means: 1-36 (1) a releasing agency; 1-37 (2) an organization that is qualified as a charitable 1-38 organization under Section 501(c)(3), Internal Revenue Code, that 1-39 has as its primary purpose: 1-40 (A) animal welfare; or 1-41 (B) sterilizing animals owned by the general 1-42 public at minimal or no cost; or 1-43 (3) a local nonprofit veterinary medical association 1-44 that has an established program for sterilizing animals owned by 1-45 the general public at minimal or no cost. 1-46 Sec. 828.015. ANIMAL FRIENDLY ADVISORY COMMITTEE. (a) The 1-47 commissioner of public health shall appoint a seven-member animal 1-48 friendly advisory committee, composed of: 1-49 (1) one person licensed to practice veterinary 1-50 medicine in this state; 1-51 (2) one representative from a private releasing 1-52 agency; 1-53 (3) one representative from a public releasing agency; 1-54 (4) one representative of an animal welfare 1-55 organization; 1-56 (5) two representatives of the general public; and 1-57 (6) one representative from the Texas Department of 1-58 Health. 1-59 (b) The commissioner shall designate one member as presiding 1-60 officer of the committee. 1-61 (c) The committee shall: 1-62 (1) meet at least twice each year or as called by the 1-63 commissioner of health; 1-64 (2) assist the Texas Board of Health in establishing 2-1 guidelines for the expenditure of money credited to the animal 2-2 friendly account; and 2-3 (3) review, and make recommendations to the Texas 2-4 Department of Health on, applications submitted to the department 2-5 for grants funded with money credited to the animal friendly 2-6 account. 2-7 (d) Members of the committee serve without compensation and 2-8 are not entitled to reimbursement for expenses. Each member serves 2-9 a term of two years. The terms of four members expire on January 2-10 31 of each odd-numbered year and the terms of the remaining members 2-11 expire on January 31 of each even-numbered year. 2-12 SECTION 2. Subchapter F, Chapter 502, Transportation Code, 2-13 is amended by adding Section 502.291 to read as follows: 2-14 Sec. 502.291. ANIMAL FRIENDLY LICENSE PLATES. (a) The 2-15 department shall issue specially designed license plates for 2-16 passenger cars and light trucks that include the words "Animal 2-17 Friendly." 2-18 (b) The department shall issue license plates under this 2-19 section to a person who: 2-20 (1) applies to the county assessor-collector of the 2-21 county in which the person resides on a form provided by the 2-22 department; and 2-23 (2) pays an annual fee of $25, in addition to the fee 2-24 prescribed by Section 502.161, and, if personalized prestige 2-25 license plates are issued, in addition to the fee prescribed by 2-26 Section 502.251. 2-27 (c) Of each fee collected under this section, the department 2-28 shall deposit: 2-29 (1) $20 to the credit of the animal friendly account 2-30 established by Section 828.014, Health and Safety Code; and 2-31 (2) $5 to the credit of the state highway fund. 2-32 (d) If the owner of a vehicle registered under this section 2-33 disposes of the vehicle during the registration year, the owner 2-34 shall return the special license plates to the department. 2-35 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. 2-36 SECTION 4. If at least $500,000 has not been deposited to 2-37 the credit of the animal friendly account in the general revenue 2-38 fund, by September 1, 2001: 2-39 (1) Section 502.291, Transportation Code, and Sections 2-40 828.014 and 828.015, Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act, 2-41 are repealed; and 2-42 (2) money deposited to the credit of the animal 2-43 friendly account shall be transferred to the undedicated portion of 2-44 the general revenue fund. 2-45 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the 2-46 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-47 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-48 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-49 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 2-50 * * * * *