By:  Carona                                            S.B. No. 171
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                       AN ACT
 1-1     relating to expanding the Legion of Valor license plate privilege
 1-2     to the unmarried surviving spouses of veterans.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 502.266, Transportation Code, is amended
 1-5     to read as follows:
 1-6           Sec. 502.266.  SURVIVING SPOUSES OF CERTAIN MILITARY
 1-7     VETERANS.  (a)  The surviving spouse of a person who would be
 1-8     eligible for license plates under Section 502.254 is entitled to
 1-9     continue to register one motor vehicle under that section as long
1-10     as the spouse remains unmarried.
1-11           (b)  The surviving spouse of a person who would be eligible
1-12     for license plates under Section 502.2555 is entitled to register
1-13     one motor vehicle under that section as long as the spouse remains
1-14     unmarried.
1-15           (c)  The surviving spouse of a person who would be eligible
1-16     for license plates under Section 502.257 is entitled to register
1-17     one motor vehicle under that section as long as the spouse remains
1-18     unmarried.
1-19           (d) [(c)]  The surviving spouse of a person who was killed in
1-20     action while serving in the United States armed forces is entitled
1-21     to register one or more motor vehicles under Section 502.258 as
1-22     long as the spouse remains unmarried.
1-23           (e) [(d)]  The surviving spouse of a person who would be
1-24     eligible for license plates under Section 502.259 or 502.260 is
 2-1     eligible to register one or more motor vehicles under that section
 2-2     as long as the spouse remains unmarried.
 2-3           (f) [(e)]  The surviving spouse of a person who would be
 2-4     eligible for license plates under Section 502.264 is eligible to
 2-5     register one or more motor vehicles under that section.
 2-6           (g) [(f)]  An applicant for registration under this section
 2-7     must submit proof of the eligibility of the applicant's deceased
 2-8     spouse for registration under Section 502.254, 502.2555, 502.257,
 2-9     502.258, 502.259, 502.260, or 502.264, as applicable.
2-10           (h) [(g)]  The county assessor-collector shall require an
2-11     applicant for registration under this section to make a statement
2-12     that the spouse is unmarried.  The statement must be sworn if the
2-13     spouse renews a registration under Section 502.257, 502.259, or
2-14     502.260.
2-15           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-16           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-17     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-18     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-19     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-20     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.