By Sibley                                        S.B. No. 225

      75R2576 DRH-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to vehicle license plates for certified aircraft pilots.

 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Subchapter F, Chapter 502, Transportation Code,

 1-5     is amended by adding Section 502.292 to read as follows:

 1-6           Sec. 502.292.  CERTIFIED AIRCRAFT PILOT PLATES.  (a)  The

 1-7     department shall issue specially designed certified aircraft pilot

 1-8     license plates for passenger cars and light trucks.

 1-9           (b)  The license plates must include the name "Texas Aircraft

1-10     Pilot" and be designed by the department after consultation with

1-11     groups representing certified pilots in this state.

1-12           (c)  The department shall issue license plates under this

1-13     section to a person who:

1-14                 (1)  applies to the county assessor-collector of the

1-15     county in which the person resides on a form provided by the

1-16     department;

1-17                 (2)  provides proof at the time of application, in a

1-18     form determined by the department, of the person's status as a

1-19     certified aircraft pilot; and

1-20                 (3)  pays an annual fee of $30, in addition to the fee

1-21     prescribed by Section 502.161, and, if personalized prestige

1-22     license plates are issued, in addition to the fee prescribed by

1-23     Section 502.251.

1-24           (d)  Of each fee collected under this section, the department

 2-1     shall deposit $25 under this section to the credit of the general

 2-2     revenue fund and $5 to the credit of the state highway fund.

 2-3           (e)  If the owner of a vehicle registered under this section

 2-4     disposes of the vehicle during the registration year, the owner

 2-5     shall return the special license plates to the department.

 2-6           SECTION 2.  Section 502.252, Transportation Code, is amended

 2-7     to read as follows:

 2-8           Sec. 502.252.  CERTAIN SPECIALIZED PLATES AVAILABLE

 2-9     PERSONALIZED.  A person applying for license plates under Section

2-10     502.258, 502.259, 502.260, 502.261, 502.262, 502.263, 502.264,

2-11     502.265, 502.269, 502.270, 502.271, 502.272, 502.273, [or] 502.274,

2-12     or 502.292 may:

2-13                 (1)  have a license plate number assigned by the

2-14     department; or

2-15                 (2)  apply for personalized prestige license plates

2-16     under Section 502.251.

2-17           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

2-18           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-19     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-20     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-21     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-22     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.