H.B. 510 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 510 By: Woolley Transportation Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current law establishes who is included in the definition of federal judge for the purposes of issuing specially designed U.S. Judge license plates. This definition was added to the Transportation Code in 1997 by SB 1630, prior to this, Federal Administrative Law Judges had been included in this definition. Administrative Law Judges were routinely issued plates for at least four years before the 1997 change. In order for federal administrative law judges to obtain a specially designed U.S. Judge license plate, they must first be included in the definition of federal judge. A U.S. Judge license plate issued by the state would contribute to the safety of federal administrative law judges and their families by allowing police and the FBI to readily identify federal administrative law judges in the event of an emergency. House Bill 510 provides that federal administrative law judges are eligible to receive U.S. Judge license plates by expanding the definition of federal judge to include federal administrative law judges. 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 Section 1 House Bill 510 amends the Transportation Code to provide that federal administrative law judges are eligible to receive U.S. Judge license plates by expanding the definition of federal judge to include federal administrative law judges. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2003.