H.B. 2472 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 2472 By: Callegari Transportation Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The Knights of Columbus is a Catholic mens' organization dedicated towards charitable purposes. House Bill 2472 authorizes the Texas Department of Transportation to create and issue a Knights of Columbus license plate. H.B. 2472 requires that the proceeds from the sale of Knights of Columbus license plates to be allocated towards the State Council Charities and the state highway fund. 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. 2472 adds Section 502.2934 to Subchapter F, Chapter 502 of the Transportation Code as follows: (a) Requires the Texas Department of Transportation to design Knights of Columbus license plates; (b) Requires that Knights of Columbus license plates include the emblem of the Order of the Knights of Columbus and the words "Knights of Columbus"; (c) Requires that the Department of Transportation design Knights of Columbus license plates in consultation with the Knights of Columbus; (d) Requires that the Department issue a Knights of Columbus license plate to a person that pays an annual $30 fee in addition to the regular annual car registration fees; (e) Requires that of the $30 annual fee, $22 be deposited to the credit of the State Council Charities general fund account and $8 be deposited to the state highway fund; (f) Requires the Department to reissue license plates to car owners whose plates were lost, stolen, or mutilated; (g) Requires car owners to return their Knights of Columbus license plates in the event that they dispossess their registered vehicles. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2003