By Moreno of Harris                                   H.B. No. 2760
         76R8620 DWS-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to special license plates for certain persons retired from
 1-3     service in the merchant marine of the United States.
 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 502.2581 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 502.2581.  PERSONS RETIRED FROM SERVICE IN MERCHANT
 1-8     MARINE OF THE UNITED STATES.  (a)  The department shall issue
 1-9     specially designed license plates for passenger cars and light
1-10     trucks owned by persons who served in the merchant marine of the
1-11     United States and as part of that service assisted the activities
1-12     of the United States during a war or other military conflict.
1-13           (b)  License plates issued under this section must be of a
1-14     color, quality, and design approved by the department.
1-15           (c)  The department shall issue license plates under this
1-16     section to a person who:
1-17                 (1)  applies to the department on a form prescribed by
1-18     the department; and
1-19                 (2)  submits proof that the person is eligible under
1-20     this section.
1-21           (d)  A person may be issued only one set of license plates
1-22     under this section and is entitled to only one exemption from the
1-23     fee under Section 502.161.
1-24           (e)  If the owner of a vehicle registered under this section
 2-1     disposes of the vehicle during the registration year, the owner
 2-2     shall return the special license plates to the department.  The
 2-3     owner may then apply for issuance of those plates to another
 2-4     vehicle.
 2-5           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
 2-6           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
 2-7     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 2-8     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 2-9     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-10     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.