By Rangel                                             H.B. No. 1045
         76R232 DWS-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to special license plates to support adult literacy.
 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 502.2662 to read as follows:
 1-6           Sec. 502.2662.  ADULT LITERACY.  (a)  The department shall
 1-7     issue specially designed "Adult Literacy" license plates for
 1-8     passenger cars and light trucks.
 1-9           (b)  The department shall issue license plates under this
1-10     section to a person who:
1-11                 (1)  applies to the assessor-collector of the county in
1-12     which the person resides on the form for original registration or
1-13     annual renewal of registration provided by the department; and
1-14                 (2)  pays an annual fee in the amount set under
1-15     Subsection (c), in addition to the fee prescribed by Section
1-16     502.161 and, if personalized prestige license plates are issued, in
1-17     addition to the fee prescribed by Section 502.251.
1-18           (c)  The department shall set the annual fee for license
1-19     plates under this section at:
1-20                 (1)  an amount, not to exceed $5, necessary to
1-21     administer this section; and
1-22                 (2)  an additional amount of:
1-23                       (A)  $25 for each set of plates, except as
1-24     provided by Paragraph (B); or
 2-1                       (B)  $15 for each set of plates, if the person is
 2-2     purchasing plates under this section for a fleet of 50 or more
 2-3     vehicles.
 2-4           (d)  The fee collected under Subsection (c)(1) may be used
 2-5     only to defray the cost of administering this section.
 2-6           (e)  The department shall deposit each fee collected under
 2-7     Subsection (c)(2) to the credit of an account in the general
 2-8     revenue fund to be known as the adult literacy account.  Money from
 2-9     the account may be used only to make grants under Section 29.2531,
2-10     Education Code.  The account is composed of:
2-11                 (1)  money required to be deposited to the credit of
2-12     the account under this subsection; and
2-13                 (2)  donations made to the account.
2-14           SECTION 2.  Subchapter H, Chapter 29, Education Code, is
2-15     amended by adding Section 29.2531 to read as follows:
2-16           Sec. 29.2531.  ADULT LITERACY GRANTS.  (a)  From money in the
2-17     adult literacy account the agency shall make grants to fund adult
2-18     literacy programs provided by public nonprofit agencies and
2-19     community based organizations.
2-20           (b)  The agency shall:
2-21                 (1)  determine standards that an adult literacy program
2-22     must meet to be eligible for a grant under this section;
2-23                 (2)  provide procedures for application for a grant;
2-24     and
2-25                 (3)  determine the recipient and amount of each grant.
2-26           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-27           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
 3-1     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 3-2     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 3-3     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 3-4     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.