By Gallegos                                     S.B. No. 1507

      75R9264 DWS-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to special license plates for persons retired from service

 1-3     in the merchant marine of the United States.

 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.  PERSONS RETIRED FROM SERVICE IN MERCHANT

 1-8     MARINE OF THE UNITED STATES.  (a)  The department shall issue

 1-9     specially designed license plates for passenger cars and light

1-10     trucks owned by persons retired from service in the merchant marine

1-11     of the United States.

1-12           (b)  License plates issued under this section must include

1-13     the words "merchant marine."

1-14           (c)  The department shall issue license plates under this

1-15     section to a person who:

1-16                 (1)  applies to the department on a form prescribed by

1-17     the department;

1-18                 (2)  pays an annual fee of $10, in addition to the fee

1-19     prescribed by Section 502.161 and, if personalized prestige license

1-20     plates are issued, in addition to the fee prescribed by Section

1-21     502.251; and

1-22                 (3)  submits proof that the person is eligible under

1-23     this section.

1-24           (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.

 2-5           (e)  A person may be issued only one set of license plates

 2-6     under this section.

 2-7           (f)  If the owner of a vehicle registered under this section

 2-8     disposes of the vehicle during the registration year, the owner

 2-9     shall return the special license plates to the department.  The

2-10     owner may then apply for issuance of those plates to another

2-11     vehicle.

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.