78R3476 JRJ-D

By:  Shapiro                                                      S.B. No. 293



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to special license plates benefiting the Texas Urban 
Forestry Council.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.   Subchapter F, Chapter 502, Transportation Code, 
is amended by adding Section 502.2935 to read as follows:
	Sec. 502.2935.  STATE TREE LICENSE PLATES. (a)  The 
department shall issue specially designed State Tree license plates 
for passenger cars and light trucks.
	(b)  The license plates must include the words "Stand tall 
for Texas trees," depict the state tree, and be of a color, quality, 
and design approved by the Texas Urban Forestry Council.
	(c)  The department shall issue license plates under this 
section to a person who:
		(1)  applies to the county 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 or Section 502.162, and, if 
personalized prestige license plates are issued, in addition to the 
fee prescribed by Section 502.251.
	(d)  The department shall deposit $20 of each fee collected 
under this section to the credit of the Texas Urban Forestry Council 
account in the state treasury.  Money in the account may be used 
only by the Texas Forest Service in making grants to benefit the 
Texas Urban Forestry Council.
	(e)  The remainder of each fee collected under this section, 
after deposit as provided by Subsection (d), shall be deposited to 
the credit of the state highway fund and may be used only to defray 
the cost of administering this section.
	(f)  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.