BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 4315

By: Gallego

Transportation

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Over the past decade, fans of sports and academics have sought to show their collegiate pride by marking their license plates with their alma mater's logo or favorite team's logo. 

C.S.H.B. 4315 allows Texas license plates to be marked with the University of Notre Dame logo and requires fees for the issuance of the license plates to be used to fund the student financial assistance program known as the TEXAS grant program.

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

C.S.H.B. 4315 amends the Transportation Code to expand the definition of the term "college," for purposes of the issuance of specialty license plates for a college, to include the University of Notre Dame.  The bill establishes that if the fee charged for the issuance of license plates is for specialty license plates for the University of Notre Dame, the amount of the fee remaining after deduction of the Texas Department of Transportation's administrative costs is required to be deposited to the credit of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and may be used only to fund the award of Toward Excellence, Access, and Success (TEXAS) grants under the grant program established by law.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2009.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 4315 adds a provision not in the original to provide for the deposit and use of fees for the issuance of specialty license plates for the University of Notre Dame.