SRC-JBJ H.B. 811 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center H.B. 811 By: McReynolds (Shapiro) State Affairs 5/8/2001 Engrossed DIGEST AND PURPOSE The Special Olympics is the world's largest program of year-round sports training and competition for persons with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities. H.B. 811 provides for the issuance of a special license plate, the proceeds from which would go into the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation Special Olympics Texas account for the benefit of Special Olympics Texas. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 533A, Health and Safety Code, by adding Section 533.018, as follows: Sec. 533.018. SPECIAL OLYMPICS TEXAS ACCOUNT. (a) Provides that the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation Special Olympics Texas account (account) is a separate account in the general revenue fund. Provides that the account is composed of money deposited to the credit of the account under Section 502.2922, Transportation Code. Authorizes money in the account to be used only for the purposes of this section. (b) Provides that the department administers the account. Requires the department to annually distribute the money deposited to the credit of the account to Special Olympics Texas to be used only to pay for costs associated with training and with area and regional competitions of the Special Olympics Texas. SECTION 2. Amends Chapter 502F, Transportation Code, by adding Section 502.2922, as follows: Sec. 502.2922. SPECIAL OLYMPICS TEXAS LICENSE PLATES. (a) Requires the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) to issue specially designed license plates for passenger cars and light trucks that bear the words "Special Olympics Texas." (b) Requires TXDOT to design the license plates in consultation with Special Olympics Texas. (c) Requires TXDOT to issue license plates under this section to certain persons. (d) Requires $5 of each fee collected under Subsection (c)(2) to be used by TXDOT only to defray the cost of administering this section. Requires TXDOT to deposit the remainder of each fee collected to the credit of the Special Olympics Texas account established by Section 533.018, Health and Safety Code. (e) Authorizes the owner of the vehicle for which the plates were issued, if the plates issued under this section are lost, stolen, or mutilated, to obtain replacement plates from TXDOT by paying a replacement fee of $5. (f) Requires the owner, if the owner of a vehicle for which license plates were issued under this section disposes of the vehicle during a registration year, to return the special license plates to TXDOT. SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2001.