1-1     By:  Barrientos                                        S.B. No. 258
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed January 16, 2001; January 17, 2001,
 1-3     read first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs;
 1-4     February 21, 2001, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
 1-5     Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 9, Nays 0;
 1-6     February 21, 2001, sent to printer.)
 1-7     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 258                    By:  Madla
 1-8                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-9                                   AN ACT
1-10     relating to the issuance of emergency medical services personnel
1-11     license plates.
1-12           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-13           SECTION 1.  Subchapter F, Chapter 502, Transportation Code,
1-14     is amended by adding Section 502.2681 to read as follows:
1-15           Sec. 502.2681.  EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PERSONNEL.
1-16     (a)  The department shall issue specially designed license plates
1-17     for passenger cars and light trucks owned by emergency medical
1-18     services personnel licensed or certified by the Texas Department of
1-19     Health under Subchapter C, Chapter 773, Health and Safety Code.
1-20           (b)  A person may apply at any time for registration under
1-21     this section to the department through the county
1-22     assessor-collector of the county in which the person resides.  The
1-23     department shall prescribe the form of the application.  The
1-24     department shall require an applicant to submit satisfactory proof
1-25     of eligibility under this section.
1-26           (c)  The fee for registration under this section and issuance
1-27     of the special license plates is an annual fee of $4, in addition
1-28     to the fee prescribed by Section 502.161 or 501.162, and, if
1-29     personalized prestige license plates are issued, in addition to the
1-30     fee prescribed by Section 502.251.  The county assessor-collector
1-31     shall send the annual fee to the department to defray the cost of
1-32     providing the special license plates.
1-33           (d)  Registration under this section is valid for one
1-34     registration year.
1-35           (e)  A person may register, for the person's own use, only
1-36     one vehicle under this section.
1-37           (f)  The owner of a vehicle registered under this section
1-38     shall return the special license plates to the department if the
1-39     owner disposes of the vehicle during the registration year.  The
1-40     owner may then register another vehicle under this section.
1-41           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
1-42     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
1-43     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
1-44     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
1-45     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
1-46                                  * * * * *