By:  Zaffirini, Nelson                                  S.B. No. 21
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                       AN ACT
 1-1     relating to the issuance of specialty license plates or disabled
 1-2     parking placards to certain institutions, facilities, and
 1-3     retirement communities that transport persons with a disability.
 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 502.2531 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 502.2531.  ISSUANCE OF DISABLED PLATES TO CERTAIN
 1-8     INSTITUTIONS.  (a)  The department shall provide for the issuance
 1-9     of the specially designed license plates under Section 502.253 for
1-10     a van or bus operated by an institution, facility, or residential
1-11     retirement community for the elderly in which a person described by
1-12     Section 502.253(b) resides, including an institution licensed under
1-13     Chapter 242, Health and Safety Code, and a facility licensed under
1-14     Chapter 246 or 247 of that code.
1-15           (b)  The application for registration must be made in the
1-16     manner provided by Section 502.253(d) and be accompanied by a
1-17     written statement signed by the administrator or manager of the
1-18     institution, facility, or retirement community certifying to the
1-19     department that the institution or facility regularly transports,
1-20     as a part of the services that the institution, facility, or
1-21     retirement community provides, one or more persons described by
1-22     Section 502.253(b) who reside in the institution, facility, or
1-23     retirement community.  The department shall determine the
1-24     eligibility of the institution, facility, or retirement community
 2-1     on the evidence the applicant provides.
 2-2           SECTION 2.  Chapter 681, Transportation Code, is amended by
 2-3     adding Section 681.0032 to read as follows:
 2-4           Sec. 681.0032.  ISSUANCE OF DISABLED PARKING PLACARDS TO
 2-5     CERTAIN INSTITUTIONS.  (a)  The department shall provide for the
 2-6     issuance of disabled parking placards described by Section 681.002
 2-7     for a van or bus operated by an institution, facility, or
 2-8     residential retirement community for the elderly in which a person
 2-9     described by Section 502.253(b) resides, including an institution
2-10     licensed under Chapter 242, Health and Safety Code, and a facility
2-11     licensed under Chapter 246 or 247 of that code.
2-12           (b)  The application for a disabled parking placard must be
2-13     made in the manner provided by Section 681.003(b) and be
2-14     accompanied by a written statement signed by the administrator or
2-15     manager of the institution, facility, or retirement community
2-16     certifying to the department that the institution, facility, or
2-17     retirement community regularly transports, as a part of the
2-18     services that the institution, facility, or retirement community
2-19     provides, one or more persons described by Section 502.253(b) who
2-20     reside in the institution, facility, or retirement community.  The
2-21     department shall determine the eligibility of the institution,
2-22     facility, or retirement community on the evidence the applicant
2-23     provides.
2-24           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-25           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-26     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 3-1     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 3-2     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 3-3     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.