HBA-MPA C.S.H.B. 3744 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 3744
By: Greenberg
Transportation
4/23/1999
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Stephen F. Austin High School in Austin is the oldest, continuing,
tax-supported, locally-controlled secondary school in Texas.  It first
opened its doors on September 14, 1881.  The school has a tradition of
academic and athletic achievement.  The school's football team, known as
the Austin High Maroons, will have its 100th season in the fall of 2001.
C.S.H.B. 3744 authorizes the Texas Department of Transportation to issue a
specially designed license plate to honor the 100th football season of
Stephen F. Austin High School in Austin.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

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

Sec. 502.298.  100TH FOOTBALL SEASON OF STEPHEN F. AUSTIN HIGH SCHOOL. (a)
Requires the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to issue specially
designed license plates for passenger cars and light trucks in honor of the
100th football season of Stephen F. Austin High School in Austin. 

(b) Provides that the license plates must be of a color, quality, and
design approved by the principal of Stephen F. Austin High School in
consultation with TxDOT. 

(c) Requires TxDOT to issue license plates to a person who applies to the
assessorcollector of the county in which the person resides on a form
provided by TxDOT, and pays an annual fee of $50 in addition to other
prescribed fees. 

(d) Requires TxDOT to send $35 of each fee collected under this section to
the Texas  Education Agency for distribution to the Austin Independent
School District to be used only for the benefit of the Austin High School
Athletic Department.  Requires the remainder of each fee collected under
this section to be deposited to the credit of the state highway funds. 

(e) Provides that this section expires January 1, 2006.

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 3744 differs from the original bill in SECTION 1 (proposed Section
502.298, Transportation Code) by adding a new Subsection (b) providing that
the principal of Stephen F. Austin High School must  approve the color,
quality,  and design of the license plate authorized by  this Act.  The
substitute redesignates proposed Subsection (b) in the original bill as
Subsection (c), and specifies a $50 annual fee in addition to other
prescribed fees.  The substitute replaces a provision granting rulemaking
authority to TxDOT to establish an annual fee sufficient to recover the
actual cost of issuing license plates under this section with a requirement
that TxDOT distribute, of each fee collected, $35 to the Texas Education
Agency for distribution to the Austin Independent School District to be
used only for the benefit of the Austin High School Athletic Department,
with the remainder deposited to the credit of the state highway fund.  The
substitute redesignates proposed Subsection (d) in the original as
Subsection (e).