AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

The purpose of the Fund for Veterans' Assistance (fund) is to provide grants to local government and nonprofit organizations to enhance or improve veterans' assistance programs that address the needs of veterans and their families.

 

The 81st Legislature, Regular Session, 2009, passed S.B. 1940.  One of the provisions of S.B. 1940 approved voluntary contributions to the fund from donations made by an individual on his or her vehicle registration form.

 

H.B. 3179 would ensure that the contributions can only be used for grants from the fund.  It mandates that the notice of the ability to contribute to the fund be on the same page as the individual's total registration fee, and that a person who registered their vehicle online has the ability to contribute using the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) website.  The bill requires that TxDMV consult with the Texas Veterans Commission in creating this process.

 

H.B. 3179 seeks to clarify the legislative intent of S.B. 1940 from the 81st Legislature regarding the ability of individuals to voluntarily contribute to the fund via their vehicle registration form.

 

H.B. 3179 amends current law relating to contributions to the fund for veterans' assistance.

 

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.  Reenacts Section 434.017(a), Government Code, as amended by Chapters 840 (S.B. 1940) and 1385 (S.B. 1655), Acts of the 81st Legislature, Regular Session, 2009, and amends it as follows:

 

(a) Provides that the fund for veterans' assistance (fund) is a special fund in the state treasury outside the general revenue fund.  Provides that the fund is composed of funds from certain revenue sources, including money deposited to the credit of the fund under Section 502.1746, Transportation code. Makes nonsubstantive changes.

 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 502.1746, Transportation Code, by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsections (c)-(e), as follows:

 

(b) Authorizes a contribution made under this section to be used only for the purposes of the fund.

 

(c) Requires the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) to:

 

(1) include space in each motor vehicle registration renewal notice, on the page that states the total fee for registration renewal, that allows a person renewing a registration to indicate the amount that the person is voluntarily contributing to the fund;

 

(2) provide an opportunity to contribute to the fund similar to the opportunity described by Subsection (a) (relating to entitling a person to make a voluntary contribution in any amount to the fund for veterans' assistance) and in the manner described by Subdivision (1) in any registration renewal system that succeeds the system in place on September 1, 2011; and

 

(3) provide an opportunity for a person to contribute to the fund during the registration renewal process on TxDMV's Internet website.

 

(d) Authorizes the county assessor-collector, if a person makes a contribution under this section and does not pay the full amount of a registration fee, to credit all or a portion of the contribution to the person's registration fee.

 

(e) Requires TxDMV to consult with the Texas Veterans Commission in performing TxDMV's duties under this section.

 

SECTION 3.  Provides that the change in law made by this Act to Section 502.1746, Transportation Code, applies only to a motor vehicle registration renewal notice issued for a registration that expires on or after January 1, 2012.

 

SECTION 4.  Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2011.