By:  Gallegos                                         S.B. No. 1328
         99S0745/1                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                       AN ACT
 1-1     relating to special license plates for persons retired from service
 1-2     in the merchant marine of the United States.
 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 502.2585 to read as follows:
 1-6           Sec. 502.2585.  PERSONS RETIRED FROM SERVICE IN MERCHANT
 1-7     MARINE OF THE UNITED STATES.  (a)  The department shall issue
 1-8     specially designed license plates for passenger cars and light
 1-9     trucks owned by persons retired from service in the merchant marine
1-10     of the United States.
1-11           (b)  License plates issued under this section must include
1-12     the words "merchant marine."
1-13           (c)  The department shall issue license plates under this
1-14     section to a person who:
1-15                 (1)  applies to the department on a form prescribed by
1-16     the department;
1-17                 (2)  pays an annual fee of $10 in addition to the fee
1-18     prescribed by Section 502.161 and, if personalized prestige license
1-19     plates are issued, in addition to the fee prescribed by Section
1-20     502.251; and
1-21                 (3)  submits proof that the person is eligible under
1-22     this section.
1-23           (d)  The department shall send 50 cents of each fee collected
1-24     under this section to the county treasurer of the county in which
 2-1     the applicant resides.  The county treasurer shall credit money
 2-2     received under this section to the general fund of the county to
 2-3     pay the costs of administering this section.
 2-4           (e)  A person may be issued only one set of license plates
 2-5     under this section.
 2-6           (f)  If the owner of a vehicle registered under this section
 2-7     disposes of the vehicle during the registration year, the owner
 2-8     shall return the special license plates to the department.  The
 2-9     owner may then apply for issuance of those plates to another
2-10     vehicle.
2-11           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-12           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-13     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-14     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-15     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-16     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.