SRC-MSY S.B. 668 78(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 668
78R4425 DWS-DBy: Ogden
Infrastructure Development and Security
2/28/2003
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Currently, no law provides for a specialized motor vehicle license plate
that depicts the Knights of Columbus emblem and benefits the State Council
Charities.   As proposed, S.B. 668 creates a specialized license plate
featuring the emblem of the Knights of Columbus, appropriates funds for
the State Council Charities from the $30 fee charged for obtaining the
special plates, and deposits the remainder to the state highway fund. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to
a state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Chapter 502F, Transportation Code, by adding Section
502.2934, as follows: 

Sec.  502.2934.  KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS.  (a)  Requires the Texas Department
of Transportation (TxDOT) to issue specially designed Knights of Columbus
license plates for passenger cars and light trucks. 

(b)  Requires the license plates to include the emblem of the Order of the
Knights of Columbus. 

(c)  Requires TxDOT to design the license plate in consultation with the
Knights of Columbus. 

(d)  Requires TxDOT to issue license plates under this section to a person
who applies to his or her county assessor-collector on a form provided by
TxDOT and who pays an annual fee of $30 in addition to the fee prescribed
by Section 502.161, or, if applicable, 502.251. 

(e)  Requires TxDOT to deposit $22 of each fee collected under this
section to the credit of the State Council Charities account in the
general fund, to be used by the Texas Education Agency only to make grants
to State Council Charities. Requires that the remainder of each fee
collected under this section be deposited to the state highway fund. 

(f)  Authorizes the owner of the vehicle for which the license plates were
issued to obtain replacements from TxDOT by paying the fee prescribed by
Section 502.184(a)(2) in the event that the plates are lost, stolen, or
mutilated. 

(g)  Requires the owner of a vehicle registered under this section to
return the special license plates to TxDOT if the owner disposes of the
vehicle during the registration year. 
 
SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 2003.