BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 120

By: Larson

Defense & Veterans' Affairs

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Current law provides for the issuance of specialty license plates for recipients of various military awards and medals. The Defense Superior Service Medal is a prestigious honor awarded to certain members of the U.S. military under circumstances relating to the member having performed superior meritorious service in a position of significant responsibility. The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, however, does not recognize the Defense Superior Service Medal as a specialty license plate.

C.S.H.B. 120 recognizes the exemplary service of Defense Superior Service Medal recipients by providing for the issuance of certain benefits and specialty license plates relating to the medal for those recipients.

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. 120 amends the Transportation Code to require the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to issue specialty license plates for recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal.  The bill requires the license plates to include the words "Defense Superior Service Medal" at the bottom of each license plate. The bill requires one set of such license plates to be issued without the payment of the registration fee for a vehicle. The bill expands the types of license plates issued to veterans with disabilities whose emblems can be included on another type of license plate issued to veterans with disabilities to include Defense Superior Service Medal license plates. The bill exempts military specialty license plates from certain statutory provisions requiring a request and deposit for the manufacture of specialty license plates.  The bill, under specified circumstances, exempts a vehicle displaying Defense Superior Service Medal license plates from the payment of a parking fee collected through a parking meter charged by a governmental authority other than a branch of the federal government. 

C.S.H.B. 120 amends Section 504.315(a), Transportation Code, as added by Chapter 460 (S.B. 1755), Acts of the 82nd Legislature, Regular Session, 2011, and by Chapter 709 (H.B. 559), Acts of the 82nd Legislature, Regular Session, 2011, to make technical and conforming changes.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2013.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 120 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following comparison is organized and highlighted in a manner that indicates the substantive differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

INTRODUCED	HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
SECTION 1.  Section 504.202(e-1), Transportation Code, is amended.	SECTION 1. Same as introduced version.
SECTION 2.  Section 504.301, Transportation Code, is amended.	SECTION 2. Same as introduced version.
No equivalent provision.	SECTION 3.  Section 504.3015(a), Transportation Code, is amended to read as follows: (a)  A person applying for a set of license plates under this subchapter shall pay the registration fee required under Chapter 502 and the applicable special plate fee required under this section, except that one set of license plates shall be issued under Section 504.308, [or] 504.315, or 504.319 without the payment of the registration fee.
SECTION 3.  Section 504.315(a), Transportation Code, as added by Chapter 709 (H.B. 559), Acts of the 82nd Legislature, Regular Session, 2011, is amended.	SECTION 4. Same as introduced version.
SECTION 4.  Section 504.315(a), Transportation Code, as added by Chapter 460 (S.B. 1755), Acts of the 82nd Legislature, Regular Session, 2011, is redesignated as Section 504.315(b), Transportation Code, and amended.	SECTION 5. Same as introduced version.
SECTION 5.  Section 504.315(h), Transportation Code, is amended.	SECTION 6. Same as introduced version.
SECTION 6.  Subchapter D, Chapter 504, Transportation Code, is amended.	SECTION 7. Same as introduced version.
SECTION 7.  Section 681.008(b), Transportation Code, is amended.	SECTION 8. Same as introduced version.
SECTION 8.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.	SECTION 9. Same as introduced version.