HBA-DMH C.S.H.B. 428 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 428 By: Morrison Transportation 4/24/2001 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, recipients of the distinguished Purple Heart award are eligible to obtain special license plates acknowledging their service and sacrifice for our country. The charge for the first set of license plates is $3, and each set for an additional vehicle is $15. In addition, the first vehicle registered with such license plates is exempt from the annual vehicle registration fee. C.S.H.B. 428 provides an exemption from annual vehicle registration fees for each vehicle with Purple Heart license plates and sets forth a $3 charge for each set of license plates. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 428 amends the Transportation Code to require the Texas Department of Transportation to issue Purple Heart license plates to a person who pays an annual fee of $3 for each set, rather than the first set, of license plates. The bill deletes the required $15 annual charge for each additional set of license plates. The bill provides an exemption from the annual vehicle registration fee for each vehicle, rather than one vehicle, for which Purple Heart license plates are issued. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE C.S.H.B. 428 differs from the original bill by removing the increased annual fee charged for each additional set of Purple Heart license plates. The substitute requires the Texas Department of Transportation to charge $3 for each set, rather than the first set, of Purple Heart license plates. The substitute provides that each vehicle being issued Purple Heart license plates is exempt from the applicable annual vehicle registration fee, rather than removing the exemption from the fee for vehicles being issued the Purple Heart license plates.