SRC-AMY S.B. 1233 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center S.B. 1233 87R4862 JD-FBy: Williams Infrastructure Development and Security 3/21/2003 As Filed DIGEST AND PURPOSE Currently, there are a number of specialty license plates that include advocacy messages. The "Choose Life" license plates would promote adoption as a positive choice for women with unplanned pregnancies through the widely recognized slogan and through the revenues raised, which would be available to pregnancy centers and adoption agencies. As proposed, S.B. 1233 creates the framework necessary for a "Choose Life" specialty license plate and a corresponding account, administered by the attorney general, for the revenue not deposited into the state highway fund. This bill provides that the revenues in the Choose Life account will be available to eligible programs. S.B. 1233 also requires the attorney general to appoint a Choose Life advisory committee. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the attorney general in SECTION 2 (Section 402.031, Government Code) of this bill. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 502F, Transportation Code, by adding Section 502.304, as follows: Sec. 502.304. CHOOSE LIFE LICENSE PLATES. (a) Requires the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to issue license plates for passenger cars and light trucks bearing the words "Choose Life." (b) Requires TxDOT to design the license plates in consultation with the attorney general. (c) Requires TxDOT to issue the license plates to a person who meets certain criteria. (d) Requires that $5 of each fee collected under this section be deposited to the credit of the state highway fund and that $25 of each fee collected be deposited in the state treasury to the credit of the Choose Life account. (e) Requires the vehicle owner to return the license plates to TxDOT upon disposal of the vehicle during a registration year. (f) Authorizes the owner of a vehicle with license plates issued under this section to replace lost, stolen, or mutilated license plates from TxDOT by paying the replacement fee prescribed in Section 502.184 (a)(2) (Replacement of Lost, Stolen, or Mutilated License Plate). SECTION 2. Amends Chapter 402B, Government Code, by adding Sections 402.031 and 402.032, as follows. Sec. 402.031. CHOOSE LIFE ACCOUNT. (a) Provides that the Choose Life account is a separate account in the general revenue fund composed of certain funds. (b) Provides that the attorney general administers the Choose Life account and is authorized to spend money credited to the account only to make grants to an eligible organization and defray the cost of administering the account. (c) Authorizes the attorney general to accept gifts, donations, and grants from any source for the benefit of the account. (d) Requires the attorney general to establish, by rule, expenditure guidelines and reporting and other necessary mechanisms to ensure that the money is spent in accordance with this section. (e) Defines "eligible organization." Sec. 402.032. CHOOSE LIFE ADVISORY COMMITTEE. (a) Requires the attorney general to appoint a seven-member Choose Life advisory committee (committee). (b) Requires the committee to perform certain functions related to the Choose Life account. (c) Provide that members of the committee serve without compensation and are not entitled to reimbursement for expenses. Provides that each member serves a four-year term, with terms of three or four members expiring on January 31 of each oddnumbered year. SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2003.