78R7134 JTS-D

By:  Lindsay                                                      S.B. No. 908



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the issuance of "Be a Blood Donor" license plates; 
creating an account and advisory committee.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Chapter 162, Health and Safety Code, is amended 
by adding Sections 162.016 and 162.017 to read as follows:
	Sec. 162.016.  BE A BLOOD DONOR ACCOUNT.  (a)  The be a blood 
donor account is a separate account in the general revenue fund.  
The account is composed of:
		(1)  money deposited to the credit of the account under 
Section 502.304, Transportation Code; and
		(2)  gifts, grants, donations, and legislative 
appropriations.       
	(b)  The department administers the account and may spend 
money credited to the account only to:
		(1)  make grants to nonprofit blood centers in this 
state for programs to recruit and retain volunteer blood donors; 
and
		(2)  defray the cost of administering the account.                     
	(c)  The board:                                                         
		(1)  may accept gifts, grants, and donations from any 
source for the benefit of the account; and
		(2)  by rule shall establish guidelines for spending 
money credited to the account.
	Sec. 162.017.  BE A BLOOD DONOR ADVISORY COMMITTEE.  (a)  The 
commissioner shall appoint a five-member Be a Blood Donor Advisory 
Committee composed of:
		(1)  one volunteer blood donor who has given at least 
one gallon of blood in the two years preceding the appointment;
		(2)  two representatives from nonprofit blood centers;                 
		(3)  one person who has received a blood transfusion in 
the five years preceding the appointment; and
		(4)  one representative from the department.                           
	(b)  The commissioner shall designate one member as 
presiding officer of the committee.
	(c)  The committee shall:                                               
		(1)  meet at least annually or as called by the 
commissioner;        
		(2)  assist the board in establishing guidelines for 
the expenditure of money credited to the be a blood donor account; 
and
		(3)  review, and make recommendations to the department 
on, applications submitted to the department for grants funded with 
money credited to the be a blood donor account.
	(d)  Members of the committee serve without compensation and 
are not entitled to reimbursement for expenses.  Members of the 
committee serve staggered four-year terms, with the terms of as 
near one-half as possible of the members expiring on January 31 of 
each even-numbered year.
	SECTION 2.  Subchapter F, Chapter 502, Transportation Code, 
is amended by adding Section 502.304 to read as follows:
	Sec. 502.304.  "BE A BLOOD DONOR" LICENSE PLATES.  (a)  The 
department shall issue specially designed "Be a Blood Donor" 
license plates for passenger cars and light trucks.
	(b)  The department shall design the license plate in 
consultation with the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center in Houston.
	(c)  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 $25 in addition to the fee 
prescribed by Section 502.161, and, if personalized prestige plates 
are issued, in addition to the fee prescribed by Section 502.251.
	(d)  Of each fee collected under Subsection (c), $8 shall be 
used by the department only to defray the cost of administering this 
section.  The department shall deposit the remainder of each fee 
collected to the credit of the be a blood donor account under 
Section 162.016, Health and Safety Code.
	(e)  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 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.