1-1     By:  Gallegos                                         S.B. No. 1328
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 11, 1999; March 15, 1999, read
 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs; May 7, 1999,
 1-4     reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 8, Nays 0;
 1-5     May 7, 1999, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to special license plates for persons retired from service
 1-9     in the merchant marine of the United States.
1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11           SECTION 1.  Subchapter F, Chapter 502, Transportation Code,
1-12     is amended by adding Section 502.2585 to read as follows:
1-13           Sec. 502.2585.  PERSONS RETIRED FROM SERVICE IN MERCHANT
1-14     MARINE OF THE UNITED STATES.  (a)  The department shall issue
1-15     specially designed license plates for passenger cars and light
1-16     trucks owned by persons retired from service in the merchant marine
1-17     of the United States.
1-18           (b)  License plates issued under this section must include
1-19     the words "merchant marine."
1-20           (c)  The department shall issue license plates under this
1-21     section to a person who:
1-22                 (1)  applies to the department on a form prescribed by
1-23     the department;
1-24                 (2)  pays an annual fee of $10 in addition to the fee
1-25     prescribed by Section 502.161 and, if personalized prestige license
1-26     plates are issued, in addition to the fee prescribed by Section
1-27     502.251; and
1-28                 (3)  submits proof that the person is eligible under
1-29     this section.
1-30           (d)  The department shall send 50 cents of each fee collected
1-31     under this section to the county treasurer of the county in which
1-32     the applicant resides.  The county treasurer shall credit money
1-33     received under this section to the general fund of the county to
1-34     pay the costs of administering this section.
1-35           (e)  A person may be issued only one set of license plates
1-36     under this section.
1-37           (f)  If the owner of a vehicle registered under this section
1-38     disposes of the vehicle during the registration year, the owner
1-39     shall return the special license plates to the department.  The
1-40     owner may then apply for issuance of those plates to another
1-41     vehicle.
1-42           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-43           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-44     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-45     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-46     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-47     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
1-48                                  * * * * *