1-1     By:  Shapleigh                                        S.B. No. 1563
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 9, 2001; March 14, 2001, read
 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs;
 1-4     March 28, 2001, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 9,
 1-5     Nays 0; March 28, 2001, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to the issuance of Texas Commission for the Deaf and Hard
 1-9     of Hearing license plates.
1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11           SECTION 1.  Subchapter F, Chapter 502, Transportation Code,
1-12     is amended by adding Section 502.2735 to read as follows:
1-13           Sec. 502.2735.  TEXAS COMMISSION FOR THE DEAF AND HARD OF
1-14     HEARING LICENSE PLATES.  (a)  The department shall issue specially
1-15     designed Texas Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing license
1-16     plates for passenger cars and light trucks.
1-17           (b)  The department shall design the license plates in
1-18     consultation with the Texas Commission for the Deaf and Hard of
1-19     Hearing.
1-20           (c)  The department shall issue license plates under this
1-21     section to a person who:
1-22                 (1)  applies to the assessor-collector of the county in
1-23     which the person resides on a form provided by the department; and
1-24                 (2)  pays an annual fee of $25, in addition to the fee
1-25     prescribed by Section 502.161 or 502.162 and, if personalized
1-26     prestige license plates are issued, in addition to the fee
1-27     prescribed by Section 502.251.
1-28           (d)  Of each fee collected under Subsection (c)(2), $5 shall
1-29     be used by the department only to defray the cost of administering
1-30     this section.
1-31           (e)  The remainder of each fee collected shall be deposited
1-32     to the credit of the general revenue fund and may be appropriated
1-33     only to the Texas Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing for
1-34     direct services programs, training, and education.
1-35           (f)  If the owner of a vehicle for which license plates were
1-36     issued under this section disposes of the vehicle during a
1-37     registration year, the owner shall return the special license
1-38     plates to the department.
1-39           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
1-40                                  * * * * *