HBA-CMT S.B. 1353 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 1353
By: Armbrister
Transportation
5/18/2001
Committee Report (Amended)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, recipients of an Air Force Cross or Distinguished Service Cross,
the Army Distinguished Service Cross, the Navy Cross, or the Medal of Honor
and former prisoners of war are allowed only one specialissue license plate
while a Purple Heart recipient is allowed a special-issue license for each
registered vehicle owned by the person.  Senate Bill 1353 allows recipients
of an Air Force Cross or Distinguished Service Cross, Army Distinguished
Service Cross, Navy Cross, or Medal of Honor and former prisoners of war to
obtain multiple sets of special issue 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

Senate Bill 1353 amends the Transportation Code to require the Texas
Department of Transportation  to issue additional specially designed
license plates for cars and light trucks owned by recipients of an Air
Force Cross or Distinguished Service Cross, the Army Distinguished Service
Cross, the Navy Cross, or the Medal of Honor. The bill sets forth an annual
fee of $15 for each set of license plates issued to the person beyond the
first set.  The bill sets forth that the fee for registering a car or light
truck with specially designed former prisoner of war license plates is $15
for each set of license plates issued to the person beyond the first set.
The bill sets forth that a person who registers more than one vehicle with
a former prisoner of war license plate or an Air Force Cross or
Distinguished Service Cross, Army Distinguished Service Cross, Navy Cross,
or Medal of Honor recipient license plate is entitled to only one exemption
from the applicable annual vehicle registration fee.  The bill deletes the
provision authorizing the owner of a passenger car or light truck
registered with a former prisoner of war license plate to register another
vehicle without charge if the original vehicle registered with the plates
is disposed of during the registration year. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.

EXPLANATION OF AMENDMENTS

Committee Amendment No. 1 requires the Texas Department of Transportation
(TxDOT) to issue specially designed license plates for passenger cars and
light trucks owned by members or alumnae of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.
The plates must include the words "Delta Sigma Theta."  The amendment sets
forth a $25 annual fee for a Delta Sigma Theta plate in addition to the
standard motor vehicle registration fee and requires TxDOT to use $8 of the
fee to defray the cost of issuing the plates and to deposit the remainder
of the fee to the credit of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority account.  

The amendment also amends the Education Code to establish the Delta Sigma
Theta Sorority account  (account) as a separate account in the general
revenue fund.  The amendment provides that the Texas Education Agency (TEA)
administers the account and that the account consists of money collected
from the issuance of Delta Sigma Theta license plates. TEA is authorized to
spend money credited to the account to make grants to benefit programs
sponsored by the El Paso Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.