1-1     By:  Armbrister                                       S.B. No. 1353
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 8, 2001; March 13, 2001, read
 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on Veteran Affairs and
 1-4     Military Installations; April 3, 2001, reported favorably by the
 1-5     following vote:  Yeas 5, Nays 0; April 3, 2001, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to the issuance of certain veterans license plates.
 1-9           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-10           SECTION 1.  Subsections (c), (e), (f), and (g), Section
1-11     502.2555, Transportation Code, are amended to read as follows:
1-12           (c)  The department shall issue license plates under this
1-13     section to a person who:
1-14                 (1)  applies to the department on a form prescribed by
1-15     the department;
1-16                 (2)  pays an annual fee of:
1-17                       (A)  $3 for the first set of license plates
1-18     issued under this section; and
1-19                       (B)  $15 for each additional set of license
1-20     plates issued under this section;
1-21                 (3)  submits proof that the person has been awarded the
1-22     Air Force Cross or Distinguished Service Cross, the Army
1-23     Distinguished Service Cross, the Navy Cross, or the Medal of Honor;
1-24     and
1-25                 (4)  submits proof that the person is:
1-26                       (A)  an honorably discharged veteran of the
1-27     United States armed forces; or
1-28                       (B)  a member of the United States armed forces
1-29     on active duty.
1-30           (e)  A person who registers one or more vehicles under this
1-31     section is entitled to only one exemption [vehicle for which
1-32     license plates are issued under this section is exempt] from the
1-33     fee under Section 502.161.
1-34           (f)  [A person may be issued only one set of license plates
1-35     under this section.]
1-36           [(g)]  If the owner of a vehicle registered under this
1-37     section disposes of the vehicle during the registration year, the
1-38     owner shall return the special license plates to the department.
1-39     The owner may then apply for issuance of those plates to another
1-40     vehicle.
1-41           SECTION 2.  Section 502.257, Transportation Code, is amended
1-42     by amending Subsections (a), (d), and (f) and adding Subsection (g)
1-43     to read as follows:
1-44           (a)  A person is entitled to register under this section, for
1-45     the person's own use, passenger cars and light trucks [one
1-46     passenger car or light truck without payment of a registration fee]
1-47     if the person:
1-48                 (1)  was captured and incarcerated by an enemy of the
1-49     United States during a period of conflict with the United States;
1-50     and
1-51                 (2)  was not discharged from the United States armed
1-52     forces under conditions less than honorable.
1-53           (d)  The fee for issuance of license plates under this
1-54     section is:
1-55                 (1)  $3 for the first set of license plates issued
1-56     under this section; and
1-57                 (2)  $15 for each additional set of license plates
1-58     issued under this section.
1-59           (f)  If the owner of a vehicle registered under this section
1-60     disposes of the vehicle during the registration year, the owner
1-61     shall return the special license plates to the department.  The
1-62     owner may then apply for issuance of those plates to [register]
1-63     another vehicle [under this section without charge].
1-64           (g)  A person who registers one or more vehicles under this
 2-1     section is entitled to only one exemption from the fee under
 2-2     Section 502.161.
 2-3           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
 2-4                                  * * * * *