By:  Carona                                            S.B. No. 745

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

                                       AN ACT

 1-1     relating to a special license plate for a mother, or the spouse of

 1-2     a mother, of a person who died while serving in the United States

 1-3     armed forces.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter F, Chapter 502, Transportation Code,

 1-6     is amended by adding Section 502.292 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 502.292.  GOLD STAR MOTHERS.  (a)  The department shall

 1-8     issue specially designed license plates for a passenger car or

 1-9     light truck owned by a mother, or a spouse of a mother, of a person

1-10     who died while serving in the United States armed forces.

1-11           (b)  License plates issued under this section  must include

1-12     the words "Gold Star Mother" and a gold star.

1-13           (c)  The department shall issue license plates under this

1-14     section to a person who:

1-15                 (1)  applies to the department on a form prescribed by

1-16     the department;

1-17                 (2)  pays an annual fee of $10, in addition to the fee

1-18     prescribed by Section 502.161, and, if personalized prestige

1-19     license plates are issued, in addition to the fee prescribed by

1-20     Section 502.251; and

1-21                 (3)  submits proof that the person is eligible under

1-22     this section.

1-23           (d)  The department shall send 50 cents of each fee collected

 2-1     under this section to the county treasurer of the county in which

 2-2     the applicant resides.  The county treasurer shall credit money

 2-3     received under this section to the general fund of the county to

 2-4     pay the costs of administering this section.  The remainder of each

 2-5     fee collected under this section shall be deposited to the credit

 2-6     of the state highway fund.

 2-7           (e)  A person may be issued only one set of license plates

 2-8     under this section.

 2-9           (f)  If the owner of a vehicle registered under this section

2-10     disposes of the vehicle during the registration year, the owner

2-11     shall return the special license plates to the department.  The

2-12     owner may then apply for issuance of those plates to another

2-13     vehicle.

2-14           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

2-15           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-16     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-17     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-18     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-19     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.