By:  Hunter                                                       H.B. No. 3347



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the issuance of Keeping Texas Strong special 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 502.2736 to read as follows:
	Sec. 502.2736.  KEEPING TEXAS STRONG LICENSE PLATES.  (a)  
The department shall issue specifically designed Keeping Texas 
Strong license plates for passenger cars and light trucks.
	(b)  The license plate must include the words "Keeping Texas 
Strong." 
	(c)  The department shall design the license plate 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 $30.00 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)  $22.00 shall be deposited to the credit of the 
Texas Alliance Education Program; to finance the education programs 
of the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers, and
		(2)  $8.00 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.