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.