By Dunnam                                             H.B. No. 3491
         Line and page numbers may not match official copy.
         Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E.
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the issuance of special license plates for members of
 1-3     the governing body of a municipality.
 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 502.2953 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 502.2953.  MUNICIPAL OFFICIALS.  (a)  The department
 1-8     shall design and provide for the issuance of special license plates
 1-9     for passenger cars and light trucks that are owned by persons who
1-10     are members of the governing body of a municipality in this state.
1-11           (b)  License plates issued to county officials under this
1-12     section shall bear the words "City Official."
1-13           (c)  The department shall issue license plates under this
1-14     section to a person who:
1-15                 (1)  applies to the county tax collector in the county
1-16     of the person's residence on a form prescribed by the department;
1-17                 (2)  pays the fee prescribed by Subsection (d); and
1-18                 (3)  submits with the application proof that the person
1-19     is a county official of this state.
1-20           (d)  The fee for registration under this section and issuance
1-21     of the special license plates is the fee otherwise prescribed by
 2-1     this chapter for the vehicle.
 2-2           (e)  Registration under this section is valid for one year
 2-3     and expires in the same manner as do regular motor vehicle
 2-4     registrations, except as provided by Subsection (f).
 2-5           (f)  Registration under this section expires when the owner
 2-6     of the vehicle for which the special plates were issued ceases to
 2-7     be a county official.  The county official shall return the special
 2-8     license plates to the department.
 2-9           (g)  If the owner of a vehicle for which plates are issued
2-10     under this section disposes of the vehicle during a registration
2-11     year, the person shall return the special plates to the department,
2-12     and at that time may apply for issuance of those plates to another
2-13     vehicle.
2-14           (h)  If license plates issued under this section are lost,
2-15     stolen, or mutilated, the owner of the vehicle for which the plates
2-16     were issued may obtain replacement plates from the department by
2-17     paying a replacement fee of $5.
2-18           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-19           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-20     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-21     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-22     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-23     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.