1-1     By:  Carona                                            S.B. No. 745

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed February 25, 1997; February 26, 1997,

 1-3     read first time and referred to Committee on Finance;

 1-4     March 24, 1997, reported adversely, with favorable Committee

 1-5     Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 11, Nays 0; March 24, 1997,

 1-6     sent to printer.)

 1-7     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 745                 By:  Moncrief

 1-8                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-9                                   AN ACT

1-10     relating to a special license plate for a mother, or the spouse of

1-11     a mother, of a person who died while serving in the United States

1-12     armed forces.

1-13           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-14           SECTION 1.  Subchapter F, Chapter 502, Transportation Code,

1-15     is amended by adding Section 502.292 to read as follows:

1-16           Sec. 502.292.  GOLD STAR MOTHERS.  (a)  The department shall

1-17     issue specially designed license plates for a passenger car or

1-18     light truck owned by a mother, or a spouse of a mother, of a person

1-19     who died while serving in the United States armed forces.

1-20           (b)  License plates issued under this section  must include

1-21     the words "Gold Star Mother" and a gold star.

1-22           (c)  The department shall issue license plates under this

1-23     section to a person who:

1-24                 (1)  applies to the department on a form prescribed by

1-25     the department;

1-26                 (2)  pays an annual fee of $10, in addition to the fee

1-27     prescribed by Section 502.161, and, if personalized prestige

1-28     license plates are issued, in addition to the fee prescribed by

1-29     Section 502.251; and

1-30                 (3)  submits proof that the person is eligible under

1-31     this section.

1-32           (d)  The department shall send 50 cents of each fee collected

1-33     under this section to the county treasurer of the county in which

1-34     the applicant resides.  The county treasurer shall credit money

1-35     received under this section to the general fund of the county to

1-36     pay the costs of administering this section.  The remainder of each

1-37     fee collected under this section shall be deposited to the credit

1-38     of the state highway fund.

1-39           (e)  A person may be issued only one set of license plates

1-40     under this section.

1-41           (f)  If the owner of a vehicle registered under this section

1-42     disposes of the vehicle during the registration year, the owner

1-43     shall return the special license plates to the department.  The

1-44     owner may then apply for issuance of those plates to another

1-45     vehicle.

1-46           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-47           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-48     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-49     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-50     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-51     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

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