By Barrientos                                          S.B. No. 258
         77R2518 MTB-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the issuance of emergency medical services personnel
 1-3     license plates.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter F, Chapter 502, Transportation Code,
 1-6     is amended by adding Section 502.2681 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 502.2681.  EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PERSONNEL.  (a)
 1-8     The department shall issue specially designed license plates for
 1-9     passenger cars and light trucks owned by emergency medical services
1-10     personnel certified by the Texas Department of Health under
1-11     Subchapter C, Chapter 773, Health and Safety Code.
1-12           (b)  A person may apply at any time for registration under
1-13     this section to the department through the county
1-14     assessor-collector of the county in which the person resides.  The
1-15     department shall prescribe the form of the application.  The
1-16     department shall require an applicant to submit satisfactory proof
1-17     of eligibility under this section.
1-18           (c)  The fee for registration under this section and issuance
1-19     of the special license plates is an annual fee of $4, in addition
1-20     to the fee prescribed by Section 502.161 or 501.162, and, if
1-21     personalized prestige license plates are issued, in addition to the
1-22     fee prescribed by Section 502.251.  The county assessor-collector
1-23     shall send the annual fee to the department to defray the cost of
1-24     providing the special license plates.
 2-1           (d)  Registration under this section is valid for one
 2-2     registration year.
 2-3           (e)  A person may register, for the person's own use, only
 2-4     one vehicle under this section.
 2-5           (f)  The owner of a vehicle registered under this section
 2-6     shall return the special license plates to the department if the
 2-7     owner disposes of the vehicle during the registration year.  The
 2-8     owner may then register another vehicle under this section.
 2-9           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
2-10     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
2-11     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
2-12     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
2-13     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.