BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

                                                                                                                                      C.S.H.B. 616

                                                                                                                                    By: Quintanilla

                                                                                                                                     Transportation

                                                                                                        Committee Report (Substituted)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

Currently, more than 51 specialty license plates commemorate diverse entities.  These plates also direct revenues generated by the specialty license plates to special accounts benefiting these diverse entities.  None of the plates specifically benefit the school supply needs of students.

CSHB 616 creates a specialty license plate which shows support for public schools and also provides revenue from these plates to schools to reimburse teachers who buy school supplies for students out of their own personal funds.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. 

 

ANALYSIS

 

Section 1. Amends Subchapter G, Chapter 504, Transportation Code with the addition of Section 504.6155.

Sec. 504.6155 CLASSROOM SUPPLY REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM LICENSE PLATES. (a) This section states that TxDOT shall issue specialty license plates that support the classroom supply reimbursement program.  TxDOT shall design the plate after passage of this bill.

(b) This section states that the balance of the fee after TxDOT expenses are deducted shall be sent to the Texas Education Agency as additional funding for the classroom reimbursement program established under Section 21.414 of the Education Code

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2007.

 

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

 

The original bill allowed for specialty license plates to be created for any and all counties in the state.  The plate would contain specific wording of support for an individual county's public schools.  The remainder after expenses, based on the number of specialty license plates sold in a county, would go to TEA for distribution to schools based on ADA.

 

The substitute replaces the plate in the original with a generic specialty plate applicable to the entire state, not individual counties.  Instead of wording, TxDOT shall create a design for the plate symbolic of the author's intentions. (This results in fewer expenses and more remaining monies for the intended use).

 

The balance after TxDOT expenses would be sent to TEA to fund the classroom supply reimbursement fund and made available to all teachers in Texas.