SRC-AMY S.B. 677 78(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 677
78R5815 JD-DBy: Estes
Infrastructure Development and Security
3/13/2003
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Currently, Texas law requires that a vehicle registered in this state
display a license plate both on the front and the back of the vehicle.
Reducing to one the number of required license plates for a vehicle owned
by the state, or a political subdivision thereof, would provide a cost
savings to the state and its subdivisions. As proposed, S.B. 677 allows
vehicles owned by the state, or a political subdivision thereof, to
lawfully function on the road with only one license plate, displayed on
the rear of the vehicle. This bill does not apply to vehicles intended for
use in covert criminal investigations or vehicles registered for such
activity. 

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 502A, Transportation Code, by adding Section
502.010, as follows: 

Sec. 502.010.  ISSUANCE AND DISPLAY OF LICENSE PLATE FOR CERTAIN VEHICLES.
(a) Provides that this section applies only to a vehicle owned by this
state or a political subdivision thereof, other than a law enforcement
vehicle, that meets certain criteria. 

(b) Requires the Texas Department of Transportation to issue only one
license plate to be attached at the rear of an applicable vehicle,
notwithstanding anything in this chapter to the contrary. 

(c) Provides that a person can operate on a public highway, a vehicle, to
which this section applies, that displays only one license plate that is
attached to the rear of the vehicle, notwithstanding anything in this
chapter to the contrary. 

(d) Establishes that any reference to "license plates," "plates," or a
"set of plates" means only one license plate, under this chapter. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2003.