H.B. 460 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 460 By: Gallego Transportation Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE State law provides that the registration of a passenger car or light truck owned by a state official or state judge for a specially designed license plate is for a registration period of 12 months or until March 31, whichever period is shorter. Such officials no longer in office or who have recently left office may not have enough time to renew the registration of their motor vehicle license plates so that the vehicles conform to registration requirements of the general public. House Bill 460 requires the registration of specially designed license plates for certain government officials to be for a period of 12 months or until January 31, whichever is shorter. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS H.B. 460 relating to special license plates for certain government officials: SECTION 1: Amends Section 502.295 (e) of the Transportation Code to read that a registration under section 502.295 (e) is for a registration period of 12 consecutive months or until January 31, which ever period is shorter. SECTION 2. Amends Section 502.295 (g) of the Transportation Code to read that a state official means a member of the legislature, the governor, the lieutenant governor, the attorney general, the Commissioner of the General Land Office, the Comptroller, a member of the Railroad Commission of Texas, the commissioner of agriculture, the secretary of state or member of the State Board of Education. SECTION 3: Amends Section 502.296 (e) of the Transportation Code to read that a registration period of 12 consecutive months or until January 31, whichever period is shorter. SECTION 4: Amends Section 502.297 (e), Transportation Code to read as follows that a registration under this section is for a registration period of 12 consecutive months or until January 31, whichever period is shorter. SECTION 5: Amends Section 502.297 (g) (2), of the Transportation Code to read that state judge means: a justice of the supreme court, a judge of the court of criminal appeals, a judge of a court of appeals, a district court judge, a presiding judge of an administrative judicial district, or a statutory county court judge SECTION 6: (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), this Act takes effect September 1, 2003, and applies only to a registration period beginning on or after that date. (b) Sections 1,3, and 4 of this Act take effect April 1, 2004. If the license plates are issued for a period of less than 12 months because of the changes in law made by those sections, the Texas Department of Transportation shall reduce the registration fee for that period accordingly. EFFECTIVE DATE This act takes effect September 1, 2003 and applies only to a registration period beginning on or after that date Sections 1, 3, and 4 of this Act take effect April 1, 2004.