By: Davis S.B. No. 1635
 
  (Farias)
 
   
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to contributions to the fund for veterans' assistance.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subsection (a), Section 434.017, Government
  Code, as amended by Chapters 840 (S.B. 1940) and 1385 (S.B. 1655),
  Acts of the 81st Legislature, Regular Session, 2009, is reenacted
  and amended to read as follows:
         (a)  The fund for veterans' assistance is a special fund in
  the state treasury outside the general revenue fund.  The fund is
  composed of:
               (1)  money transferred to the fund at the direction of
  the legislature;
               (2)  gifts and grants contributed to the fund;
               (3)  the earnings of the fund; [and]
               (4)  money transferred to the fund from proceeds of the
  lottery game operated under Section 466.027 or transferred to the
  fund under Section 466.408(b); and
               (5)  [(2)]  money deposited to the credit of the fund
  under Section 502.1746, Transportation Code.
         SECTION 2.  Section 502.1746, Transportation Code, is
  amended by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsections (c), (d),
  and (e) to read as follows:
         (b)  The county assessor-collector shall send any
  contribution made under this section to the comptroller for deposit
  in the state treasury to the credit of the fund for veterans'
  assistance before the 31st day after the date the contribution is
  made.  A contribution made under this section may be used only for
  the purposes of the fund for veterans' assistance.
         (c)  The department shall:
               (1)  include space on 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 for veterans' assistance;
               (2)  provide an opportunity to contribute to the fund
  for veterans' assistance similar to the opportunity described by
  Subsection (a) 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 for veterans' assistance during the registration
  renewal process on the department's Internet website.
         (d)  If a person makes a contribution under this section and
  does not pay the full amount of a registration fee, the county
  assessor-collector may credit all or a portion of the contribution
  to the person's registration fee.
         (e)  The department shall consult with the Texas Veterans
  Commission in performing the department's duties under this
  section.
         SECTION 3.  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.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2011.