1-1     By:  Moreno of Harris (Senate Sponsor - Gallegos)     H.B. No. 2760
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 5, 1999;
 1-3     May 6, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on State
 1-4     Affairs; May 14, 1999, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
 1-5     Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 14, 1999,
 1-6     sent to printer.)
 1-7     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 2760                    By:  Cain
 1-8                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-9                                   AN ACT
1-10     relating to special license plates for persons retired from service
1-11     in the merchant marine of the United States.
1-12           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-13           SECTION 1.  Subchapter F, Chapter 502, Transportation Code,
1-14     is amended by adding Section 502.2585 to read as follows:
1-15           Sec. 502.2585.  PERSONS RETIRED FROM SERVICE IN MERCHANT
1-16     MARINE OF THE UNITED STATES.  (a)  The department shall issue
1-17     specially designed license plates for passenger cars and light
1-18     trucks owned by persons retired from service in the merchant marine
1-19     of the United States.
1-20           (b)  License plates issued under this section must include
1-21     the words "merchant marine."
1-22           (c)  The department shall issue license plates under this
1-23     section to a person who:
1-24                 (1)  applies to the department on a form prescribed by
1-25     the department;
1-26                 (2)  pays an annual fee of $10 in addition to the fee
1-27     prescribed by Section 502.161 and, if personalized prestige license
1-28     plates are issued, in addition to the fee prescribed by Section
1-29     502.251; and
1-30                 (3)  submits proof that the person is eligible under
1-31     this section.
1-32           (d)  The department shall send 50 cents of each fee collected
1-33     under this section to the county treasurer of the county in which
1-34     the applicant resides.  The county treasurer shall credit money
1-35     received under this section to the general fund of the county to
1-36     pay the costs of administering this section.
1-37           (e)  A person may be issued only one set of license plates
1-38     under this section.
1-39           (f)  If the owner of a vehicle registered under this section
1-40     disposes of the vehicle during the registration year, the owner
1-41     shall return the special license plates to the department.  The
1-42     owner may then apply for issuance of those plates to another
1-43     vehicle.
1-44           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-45           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-46     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-47     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-48     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-49     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
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