By Jones of Dallas H.B. No. 1227 76R4436 DWS-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to special license plates to support reading programs of 1-3 public libraries. 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 502.2663 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 502.2663. NEW MILLENNIUM LICENSE PLATES. (a) The 1-8 department shall issue specially designed new millennium license 1-9 plates for passenger cars and light trucks. 1-10 (b) The license plates must bear the words "New Millennium" 1-11 and be of a color, quality, and design approved by the department 1-12 from entries submitted by middle school students in a competition 1-13 conducted by the department. 1-14 (c) The department shall issue license plates under this 1-15 section to a person who: 1-16 (1) applies to the assessor-collector of the county in 1-17 which the person resides on the form for original registration or 1-18 annual renewal of registration provided by the department; and 1-19 (2) pays an annual fee in the amount set under 1-20 Subsection (d), in addition to the fee prescribed by Section 1-21 502.161 and, if personalized prestige license plates are issued, in 1-22 addition to the fee prescribed by Section 502.251. 1-23 (d) The department shall set the annual fee for license 1-24 plates under this section at: 2-1 (1) an amount, not to exceed $5, necessary to 2-2 administer this section; and 2-3 (2) an additional amount of: 2-4 (A) $25 for each set of plates, except as 2-5 provided by Paragraph (B); or 2-6 (B) $15 for each set of plates, if the person is 2-7 purchasing plates under this section for a fleet of 50 or more 2-8 vehicles. 2-9 (e) The fee collected under Subsection (d)(1) may be used 2-10 only to defray the cost of administering this section. 2-11 (f) The department shall deposit each fee collected under 2-12 Subsection (d)(2) to the credit of an account in the general 2-13 revenue fund to be known as the new millennium reading program 2-14 account. Money from the account may be used only to make grants 2-15 under Section 441.0092, Government Code. The account is composed 2-16 of: 2-17 (1) money required to be deposited to the credit of 2-18 the account under this subsection; and 2-19 (2) donations made to the account. 2-20 SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 441, Government Code, is 2-21 amended by adding Section 441.0092 to read as follows: 2-22 Sec. 441.0092. NEW MILLENNIUM READING PROGRAM GRANTS. (a) 2-23 From money in the new millennium reading program account the 2-24 commission shall make grants to fund programs to promote reading 2-25 provided by public libraries. 2-26 (b) The commission shall: 2-27 (1) determine standards that a reading promotion 3-1 program must meet to be eligible for a grant under this section; 3-2 (2) provide procedures for application for a grant; 3-3 and 3-4 (3) determine the recipient and amount of each grant. 3-5 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 3-6 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 3-7 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 3-8 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 3-9 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-10 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.