C.S.H.B. 923 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 923 By: Eiland Transportation Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network (TMMSN) is a non-profit volunteer organization consisting of biologists, professionals, students, and animal lovers. Each volunteer plays a vital role in the recovery, rehabilitation, and release of stranded dolphins along the Texas coast. CSHB 923 requires the Texas Department of Transportation in consultation with the TMMSN to specially design and issue a "Dolphin Rescue Team" license plate to help support the activities of TMMSN. 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 CSHB 923 amends the Transportation Code to require the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to issue specially designed Marine Mammal Recovery license plates for passenger cars and light trucks. The plates must be of a color, quality, and design designed by TxDOT in consultation with the Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network. The bill sets forth provisions for the issuance an return of the license plates. The bill authorizes TxDOT to use $8 of the $30 fee collected for the issuance of the specially designed license plates to defray the cost of administering the license plates and $0.50 of the fee to be deposited into the general county fund in which the applicant resides for the same purposes. The remainder of the fee shall be deposited into the state treasury to be used by Texas Parks and Wildlife to support the activities of the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network in recovering, rehabilitating, and releasing stranded marine mammals. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2003 COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE CSHB 923 molds the original language of HB923 to fit under the guidelines specified in the list of standardization which was provided to meet guidelines set forth in HB3106.