By: Van de Putte S.B. No. 1445 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the issuance of special license plates for elected 1-3 county officials. 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 502.2952 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 502.2952. COUNTY OFFICIALS. (a) The department shall 1-8 design and provide for the issuance of special license plates for 1-9 passenger cars and light trucks that are owned by persons who are 1-10 county officials. 1-11 (b) License plates issued to county officials under this 1-12 section shall bear the words "County Official." 1-13 (c) The department shall issue license plates under this 1-14 section to a person who: 1-15 (1) applies to the county tax collector in the county 1-16 of the person's residence on a form prescribed by the department; 1-17 (2) pays the fee prescribed by Subsection (d); and 1-18 (3) submits with the application proof that the person 1-19 is a county official. 1-20 (d) The fee for registration under this section and issuance 1-21 of the special license plates is the fee otherwise prescribed by 1-22 this chapter for the vehicle. 1-23 (e) Registration under this section is valid for one year 1-24 and expires in the same manner as do regular motor vehicle 1-25 registrations, except as provided by Subsection (f). 2-1 (f) Registration under this section expires when the owner 2-2 of the vehicle for which the special plates were issued ceases to 2-3 be a county official. The county official shall return the special 2-4 license plates to the department. 2-5 (g) If the owner of a vehicle for which plates are issued 2-6 under this section disposes of the vehicle during a registration 2-7 year, the person shall return the special plates to the department 2-8 and at that time may apply for issuance of those plates to another 2-9 vehicle. 2-10 (h) If license plates issued under this section are lost, 2-11 stolen, or mutilated, the owner of the vehicle for which the plates 2-12 were issued may obtain replacement plates from the department by 2-13 paying a replacement fee of $5. 2-14 (i) In this section, "county official" means a person who is 2-15 elected to a county office, including a person elected by precinct. 2-16 (j) License plates issued under this section are exempt from 2-17 the requirements under Section 502.2526. 2-18 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.