HBA-DMH H.B. 2508 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2508
By: Danburg
Transportation
4/5/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

In recent years, specialty license plates have offered Texas citizens the
opportunity to support the topic or issue of their choice.  Fee revenue
generated by the sale of such plates is deposited into a fund which defrays
the costs incurred by specialty license plate programs.  There is a desire
for additional funds to support community forestry efforts by the Texas
Forest Service, and members of the public have expressed a desire to
accomplish this through the sale of specially designed license plates.
House Bill 2508 requires the Texas Department of Transportation to issue
specially designed license plates designed in consultation with Texas Urban
Forestry Council that will benefit urban and community tree programs. 

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

House Bill 2508 amends the Transportation Code to require the Texas
Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to issue specially designed license
plates for passenger cars and light trucks.  The bill requires TxDOT to
design the license plates in consultation with the Texas Urban Forestry
Council.  The bill sets forth requirements for fees and issuance of the
license plates designed in consultation with the Texas Urban Forestry
Council. The bill authorizes a $5 portion of each fee collected for the
license plates to be used to defray TxDOT's administration costs.  The bill
requires TxDOT to deposit the remainder of each fee collected for the
license plates to the credit of the Texas Urban Forestry Council account in
the state treasury.  The bill authorizes money in the account to be used
only by the Texas Forest Service to support the activities of a designated
statewide 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose primary purposes are
sponsoring urban and community tree planting, urban and community tree
preservation, and urban and community tree education programs.  

If the owner of a vehicle registered with the license plates disposes of
the vehicle during the registration year, the bill requires the owner to
return the license plates to TxDOT. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.