By Hunter                                             H.B. No. 1686
         76R5520 DWS-F                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the issuance of special license plates to fund tourism
 1-3     activities and the marketing of other programs of the department of
 1-4     economic development.
 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-6           SECTION 1.  Subchapter F, Chapter 502, Transportation Code,
 1-7     is amended by adding Section 502.2733 to read as follows:
 1-8           Sec. 502.2733.  TEXAS. IT'S LIKE A WHOLE OTHER COUNTRY
 1-9     LICENSE PLATES.  (a)  The department shall issue specially designed
1-10     "Texas.  It's Like A Whole Other Country" license plates for
1-11     passenger cars and light trucks.
1-12           (b)  The license plates must include the trademarked Texas
1-13     patch and the words "Texas.  It's Like A Whole Other Country" and
1-14     be of a color, quality, and design approved by the Texas Department
1-15     of Economic Development.
1-16           (c)  The department shall issue license plates under this
1-17     section to a person who:
1-18                 (1)  applies to the county assessor-collector of the
1-19     county in which the person resides on a form provided by the
1-20     department; and
1-21                 (2)  pays an annual fee of $30, in addition to the fee
1-22     prescribed by Section 502.161 and, if personalized prestige license
1-23     plates are issued, in addition to the fee prescribed by Section
1-24     502.251.
 2-1           (d)  Of each fee collected under this section:
 2-2                 (1)  $25 shall be deposited to the credit of the
 2-3     tourism and marketing account in the general revenue fund to
 2-4     finance the Texas Department of Economic Development's tourism
 2-5     activities and marketing of that department's other programs; and
 2-6                 (2)  $5 shall be deposited to the credit of the state
 2-7     highway fund to defray the cost of administering this section.
 2-8           (e)  If the owner of a vehicle registered under this section
 2-9     disposes of the vehicle during the registration year, the owner
2-10     shall return the special license plates to the department.
2-11           SECTION 2.  Before January 1, 2004, the comptroller shall
2-12     determine the total amount collected under Section 502.2733(d)(1),
2-13     Transportation  Code, as added by this Act, before September 1,
2-14     2003, and shall submit the determination to the secretary of state
2-15     for publication in the Texas Register.  If the amount of the
2-16     comptroller's determination is less than $100,000, Section
2-17     502.2733, Transportation Code, as added by this Act, expires
2-18     January 1, 2004.
2-19           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-20           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-21     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-22     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-23     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-24     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.