SRC-PNG H.B. 1906 76(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   H.B. 1906
76R5223 DWS-FBy: West, George (Brown)
State Affairs
5/13/1999
Engrossed


DIGEST 

In recent years, specialty license plates have offered the citizens of
Texas the opportunity to support financially deserving programs of their
choice.  Fee revenue generated by the sale of such plates is deposited to
funds which defray the costs associated with a specific cause. There is a
need for additional funds to support conservation efforts by the Texas
Parks and Wildlife Department, and the public has expressed a desire to
accomplish this through special license plate purchases. Presently no such
dedicated fund exists. H.B.1906 authorizes the Texas Department of
Transportation to issue one or more specially designed conservation license
plates to support the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's parks,
fisheries, and wildlife-related activities. 

PURPOSE

As proposed, H.B. 1906 authorizes the Texas Department of Transportation to
issue one or more specially designed conservation license plates to support
the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's parks, fisheries, and
wildlife-related activities. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter F, Chapter 502, Transportation Code, by
adding Section 502.298, as follows:  

Sec. 502.298. CONSERVATION LICENSE PLATES. (a) Requires the Texas
Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to issue one or more specially
designed conservation license plates for passenger cars and light trucks to
support Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) activities.  

(b) Provides that each plate must be of a color, quality, and design
approved by TPWD. 

(c) Requires TxDOT to issue license plates under this section to a person
who applies to the county assessor-collector on an original or renewal form
provided by TxDOT, and pays an annual fee of $25 in addition to the fee
prescribed in Sections 502.161 (Fee: Passenger Car, Municipal Bus, Private
Bus) and 502.251 (Personalized Prestige License Plates). 

(d) Requires TxDOT to deposit $20 of the $25 collected under Subsections(c)
and (e) to the credit of the Texas parks and wildlife capital
account(account) established by Section 11.043 (Texas Parks and Wildlife
Capital Account), Parks and Wildlife Code. Authorizes TxDOT to use the
remaining $5 of the fee to defray the costs of administering this section.  

(e) Provides that the fee for replacement of a lost, stolen, or mutilated
license plate issued under this section is $25, in addition to the fee
prescribed by Section 502.184(a) (Replacement of Lost, Stolen, or Mutilated
license Plate or Registration Insignia).  

(f) Requires an owner who disposes of a vehicle registered under this
section during the registration year to return the license plates to TxDOT.
 
(g) Provides that there is no limit to the number of passenger cars or
light trucks for which a person may be issued license plates under this
section.  

(h) Provides that money deposited in the account under this section is
supplementary and is not income for the purposes of reducing the general
revenue appropriation to TPWD.  

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.