By: Barrientos S.B. No. 1358 99S0662/1 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT 1-1 relating to the issuance of special license plates for emergency 1-2 medical services personnel. 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 502.298 to read as follows: 1-6 Sec. 502.298. EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PERSONNEL. 1-7 (a) The department shall issue specially designed license plates 1-8 for passenger cars and light trucks owned by emergency medical 1-9 services personnel certified or licensed by the Texas Department of 1-10 Health. 1-11 (b) The license plates shall include the words "Emergency 1-12 Medical Services" and shall display a blue reflective Star of Life. 1-13 (c) A person may apply to the department for registration 1-14 under this section at any time through the county 1-15 assessor-collector of the county in which the person resides. The 1-16 department shall prescribe the form of the application. The 1-17 department shall require the applicant to submit satisfactory proof 1-18 of eligibility under this section. 1-19 (d) The fee for registration under this section and issuance 1-20 of the special plates is the fee otherwise prescribed for the 1-21 vehicle by this chapter plus an additional fee of $4. The county 1-22 assessor-collector shall send the additional fee to the department 1-23 to defray the cost of providing the special license plates. 1-24 (e) Registration under this section is valid for one year. 2-1 (f) A person may register, for the person's own use, only 2-2 one vehicle under this section. 2-3 (g) The owner of a vehicle registered under this section 2-4 shall return the special license plates to the department if the 2-5 owner disposes of the vehicle during the registration year. The 2-6 owner may then register another vehicle under this section. 2-7 (h) If action is taken by the Texas Department of Health 2-8 resulting in loss of the certification or license of the owner of 2-9 the vehicle, the owner shall return the special license plates to 2-10 the department. 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.