1-1     By:  Van de Putte                                     S.B. No. 1445
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 8, 2001; March 13, 2001, read
 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs;
 1-4     April 20, 2001, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
 1-5     Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 7, Nays 0; April 20, 2001,
 1-6     sent to printer.)
 1-7     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1445               By:  Shapleigh
 1-8                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-9                                   AN ACT
1-10     relating to the issuance of special license plates for elected
1-11     county officials.
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 502.2952 to read as follows:
1-15           Sec. 502.2952.  COUNTY OFFICIALS.  (a)  The department shall
1-16     design and provide for the issuance of special license plates for
1-17     passenger cars and light trucks that are owned by persons who are
1-18     county officials.
1-19           (b)  License plates issued to county officials under this
1-20     section shall bear the words "County Official."
1-21           (c)  The department shall issue license plates under this
1-22     section to a person who:
1-23                 (1)  applies to the county tax collector in the county
1-24     of the person's residence on a form prescribed by the department;
1-25                 (2)  pays the fee prescribed by Subsection (d); and
1-26                 (3)  submits with the application proof that the person
1-27     is a county official.
1-28           (d)  The fee for registration under this section and issuance
1-29     of the special license plates is the fee otherwise prescribed by
1-30     this chapter for the vehicle.
1-31           (e)  Registration under this section is valid for one year
1-32     and expires in the same manner as do regular motor vehicle
1-33     registrations, except as provided by Subsection (f).
1-34           (f)  Registration under this section expires when the owner
1-35     of the vehicle for which the special plates were issued ceases to
1-36     be a county official.  The county official shall return the special
1-37     license plates to the department.
1-38           (g)  If the owner of a vehicle for which plates are issued
1-39     under this section disposes of the vehicle during a registration
1-40     year, the person shall return the special plates to the department
1-41     and at that time may apply for issuance of those plates to another
1-42     vehicle.
1-43           (h)  If license plates issued under this section are lost,
1-44     stolen, or mutilated, the owner of the vehicle for which the plates
1-45     were issued may obtain replacement plates from the department by
1-46     paying a replacement fee of $5.
1-47           (i)  In this section, "county official" means a person who is
1-48     elected to a county office, including a person elected by precinct.
1-49           (j)  License plates issued under this section are exempt from
1-50     the requirements under Section 502.2526.
1-51           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
1-52                                  * * * * *