AN ACT
 1-1     relating to the issuance of special license plates to fund tourism
 1-2     activities of the Texas Department of Economic Development.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Subchapter F, Chapter 502, Transportation Code,
 1-5     is amended by adding Section 502.2733 to read as follows:
 1-6           Sec. 502.2733.  TEXAS. IT'S LIKE A WHOLE OTHER COUNTRY
 1-7     LICENSE PLATES.  (a)  The department shall issue specially designed
 1-8     "Texas.  It's Like A Whole Other Country" license plates for
 1-9     passenger cars and light trucks.
1-10           (b)  The license plates must include the trademarked Texas
1-11     patch and the words "Texas.  It's Like A Whole Other Country" and
1-12     be of a color, quality, and design approved by the Texas Department
1-13     of Economic Development.
1-14           (c)  The department shall issue license plates under this
1-15     section to a person who:
1-16                 (1)  applies to the county assessor-collector of the
1-17     county in which the person resides on a form provided by the
1-18     department; and
1-19                 (2)  pays an annual fee of $30, in addition to the fee
1-20     prescribed by Section 502.161 and, if personalized prestige license
1-21     plates are issued, in addition to the fee prescribed by Section
1-22     502.251.
1-23           (d)  Of each fee collected under this section:
1-24                 (1)  $25 shall be deposited to the credit of the
 2-1     tourism account in the general revenue fund to finance the Texas
 2-2     Department of Economic Development's tourism activities; and
 2-3                 (2)  $5 shall be deposited to the credit of the state
 2-4     highway fund to defray the cost of administering this section.
 2-5           (e)  If the owner of a vehicle registered under this section
 2-6     disposes of the vehicle during the registration year, the owner
 2-7     shall return the special license plates to the department.
 2-8           SECTION 2.  Before January 1, 2004, the comptroller of public
 2-9     accounts shall determine the total amount collected under
2-10     Subdivision (1), Subsection (d), Section 502.2733, Transportation
2-11     Code, as added by this Act, before September 1, 2003, and shall
2-12     submit the determination to the secretary of state for publication
2-13     in the Texas Register.  If the amount of the comptroller's
2-14     determination is less than $100,000, Section 502.2733,
2-15     Transportation Code, as added by this Act, expires January 1, 2004.
2-16           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-17           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-18     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-19     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-20     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-21     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
         _______________________________     _______________________________
             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House
               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 639 passed the Senate on
         April 8, 1999, by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays 0; and that
         the Senate concurred in House amendment on May 28, 1999, by a
         viva-voce vote.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Secretary of the Senate
               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 639 passed the House, with
         amendment, on May 22, 1999, by a non-record vote.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Chief Clerk of the House
         Approved:
         _______________________________
                     Date
         _______________________________
                   Governor