AN ACT

 1-1     relating to special license plates for the Houston Livestock Show

 1-2     and Rodeo.

 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 502.293 to read as follows:

 1-6           Sec. 502.293.  HOUSTON LIVESTOCK SHOW AND RODEO LICENSE

 1-7     PLATES.  (a)  The department shall issue specially designed Houston

 1-8     Livestock Show and Rodeo license plates for passenger cars and

 1-9     light trucks.

1-10           (b)  The license plates must include the words "Houston

1-11     Livestock Show and Rodeo" and be of a color, quality, and design

1-12     approved by the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

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

1-14     section to a person who:

1-15                 (1)  applies to the county assessor-collector of the

1-16     county in which the person resides on a form provided by the

1-17     department; and

1-18                 (2)  pays an annual fee of $30, in addition to the fee

1-19     prescribed by Section 502.161 or Section 502.162, and, if

1-20     personalized prestige license plates are issued, in addition to the

1-21     fee prescribed by Section 502.251.

1-22           (d)  The department shall deposit $20 of each fee collected

1-23     under this section to the credit of the Houston Livestock Show and

 2-1     Rodeo scholarship account in the state treasury.  Money in the

 2-2     account may be used only by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating

 2-3     Board in making grants to benefit the Houston Livestock Show and

 2-4     Rodeo.

 2-5           (e)  The remainder of each fee collected under this section,

 2-6     after deposit as provided by Subsection (d), shall be deposited to

 2-7     the credit of the state highway fund and may be used only to defray

 2-8     the cost of administering 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.

2-12           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

2-13           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-14     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-15     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-16     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-17     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

         _______________________________     _______________________________

             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House

               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1506 passed the Senate on

         May 1, 1997, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0; and that the

         Senate concurred in House amendment on May 16, 1997, by a viva-voce

         vote.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Secretary of the Senate

               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1506 passed the House, with

         amendment, on May 13, 1997, by a non-record vote.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Chief Clerk of the House

         Approved:

         _______________________________

                     Date

         _______________________________

                   Governor