By:  Hunter                                                       H.B. No. 3347

Substitute the following for H.B. No. 3347:                                   

By:  Hamric                                                   C.S.H.B. No. 3347


A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the issuance of Keeping Texas Strong license plates. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Subchapter F, Chapter 502, Transportation Code, is amended by adding Section 502.2737 to read as follows: Sec. 502.2737. KEEPING TEXAS STRONG LICENSE PLATES. (a) The department shall issue specially designed Keeping Texas Strong license plates for passenger cars and light trucks. (b) The license plates must include the words "Keeping Texas Strong." (c) The department shall design the license plates in consultation with the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers. (d) The department shall issue license plates under this section to a person who: (1) applies to the county tax assessor-collector of the county in which the person resides on a form provided by the department; and (2) pays an annual fee of $30 in addition to the fee prescribed by Section 502.161 and, if personalized prestige license plates are issued, in addition to the fee prescribed by Section 502.251. (e) Of each fee collected under Subsection (d): (1) $22 shall be deposited to the credit of the Texas Alliance Education Program account in the general revenue fund to be used only by the Texas Education Agency to finance the education programs of the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers; and (2) $8 shall be deposited to the credit of the state highway fund. (f) If the license plates issued under this section are lost, stolen, or mutilated, the owner of the vehicle for which the plates were issued may obtain replacement plates from the department by paying the replacement fee prescribed by Section 502.184(a)(2). (g) If the owner of a vehicle registered under this section disposes of the vehicle during the registration year, the owner shall return the special license plates to the department. SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.