1-1 By: Harris S.B. No. 1900 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed April 30, 1999; May 3, 1999, read 1-3 first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs; 1-4 May 12, 1999, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 8, 1-5 Nays 1; May 12, 1999, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to issuance of special "Choose Life" license plates. 1-9 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-10 SECTION 1. Subchapter F, Chapter 502, Transportation Code, 1-11 is amended by adding Section 502.298 to read as follows: 1-12 Sec. 502.298. CHOOSE LIFE LICENSE PLATES. (a) The 1-13 department shall issue specially designed license plates for 1-14 passenger cars and light trucks that include the words "Choose 1-15 Life." 1-16 (b) The department shall issue license plates under this 1-17 section to a person who: 1-18 (1) applies to the county assessor-collector of the 1-19 county in which the person resides on a form provided by the 1-20 department; and 1-21 (2) pays an annual fee of $20, in addition to the fee 1-22 prescribed by Section 502.161 and, if personalized prestige license 1-23 plates are issued, in addition to the fee prescribed by Section 1-24 502.251. 1-25 (c) Of each fee collected under this section, the department 1-26 shall deposit $20 in the state treasury to the credit of the 1-27 department of human services assistance operating fund. Money 1-28 deposited in the fund under this section may be used only by the 1-29 Texas Department of Human Services to support the activities of 1-30 nonprofit groups in this state whose services are limited to 1-31 counseling and meeting the physical needs of pregnant women who are 1-32 committed to placing their children for adoption. The Texas 1-33 Department of Human Services shall establish reporting and other 1-34 mechanisms necessary to ensure that the money is expended for those 1-35 purposes. 1-36 (d) If the owner of a vehicle registered under this section 1-37 disposes of the vehicle during the registration year, the owner 1-38 shall return the special license plates to the department. 1-39 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 1-40 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 1-41 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-42 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-43 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-44 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 1-45 * * * * *