BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center                                                                                                      S.B. 1451

                                                                                                                                              By: Ellis

Transportation & Homeland Security

4/14/2007

As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Current law requires funds collected from the sale of specialty license plates labeled “God Bless Texas” and “God Bless America” to be deposited into the state highway fund and to be used only for the Safe Routes to School Program (program) of the state.  Reallocation of these funds would allow the state to use them as a vehicle to leverage additional federal funding, which would be used to expand this highly regarded program to other areas of Texas via nonprofit organizations. 

As proposed, S.B. 1451 redirects the proceeds from these specialty plates from the state highway fund to the Share The Road account in the state treasury, to be used by Texas Education Agency to support the programs of qualified nonprofit organizations whose primary purpose is the promotion of bicycle safety, education, and access.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Subchapter G, Section 504 [sic], Transportation Code, as follows:

Sec. 504.648. GOD BLESS TEXAS AND GOD BLESS AMERICA LICENSE PLATES.  (a)  Makes no changes to this subsection.

(b)  Requires the remainder of the fee, after deduction of the Department of Transportation’s administrative costs, to be deposited to the credit of the share the road account in the state treasury. Authorizes this remainder to be used only by the Texas Education Agency to support the Safe Routes to School Program (program) of a designated statewide nonprofit organization whose primary purpose is to promote bicyclist safety, education, and access through education and awareness programs and training, workshops, educational materials and media events.

(c)  Authorizes up to 25 percent of the amount in Subsection (b) to be used to support the activities of the nonprofit organization in marketing and promoting the program and license plates.

(d)  Redesignated from existing Subsection (c).  Makes no changes to this subsection.

(e)  Authorizes the funds to be used as a funding match for federal safe routes to school and obesity prevention programs.

SECTION 2.  Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2007.