By Williams                                            H.B. No. 378
         76R764 DWS-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to special Texas constable license plates.
 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 502.2952 to read as follows:
 1-6           Sec. 502.2952. TEXAS CONSTABLE LICENSE PLATES.  (a)  The
 1-7     department shall design and provide for the issuance of special
 1-8     license plates for a passenger car or light truck that is owned by
 1-9     a person who is a constable or deputy constable of this state.
1-10           (b)  License plates issued under this section shall bear the
1-11     words "Texas Constable."
1-12           (c)  The department shall issue license plates under this
1-13     section to a person who:
1-14                 (1)  applies to the county tax collector in the county
1-15     of the person's residence on a form prescribed by the department;
1-16                 (2)  pays the fee prescribed by Subsection (d); and
1-17                 (3)  submits with the application proof that the person
1-18     is a constable or deputy constable of this state.
1-19           (d)  The fee for registration under this section and issuance
1-20     of the special license plates is the fee otherwise prescribed by
1-21     this chapter for the vehicle.
1-22           (e)  Registration under this section is valid for one year
1-23     and expires in the same manner as do regular motor vehicle
1-24     registrations, except as provided by Subsection (f).
 2-1           (f)  Registration under this section expires when the owner
 2-2     of the vehicle for which the special plates were issued ceases to
 2-3     be a constable or deputy constable.  The owner shall return the
 2-4     special license plates to the department.
 2-5           (g)  If the owner of a vehicle for which plates are issued
 2-6     under this section disposes of the vehicle during a registration
 2-7     year, the person shall return the special plates to the department
 2-8     and at that time may apply for issuance of those plates to another
 2-9     vehicle.
2-10           (h)  If license plates issued under this section are lost,
2-11     stolen, or mutilated, the owner of the vehicle for which the plates
2-12     were issued may obtain replacement plates from the department by
2-13     paying a replacement fee of $5.
2-14           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-15           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-16     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-17     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-18     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-19     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.