BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 597

By: Birdwell

Defense & Veterans' Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles currently issues specialty license plates for commercial and personal vehicles registered in Texas to current members of the military or to military veterans. Options for such specialty license plates range from displaying a servicemember's or veteran's branch of service, awards received while in uniform, or the tour served by the servicemember or veteran. Interested parties note that while there is currently a specialty plate for persons who served in Operation Enduring Freedom that displays the words "Enduring Freedom," there is no specialty plate available specifically for those who served in the Afghanistan theater of that operation. S.B. 597 seeks to create a new plate specific to the Afghanistan theater of Operation Enduring Freedom that displays the words "Enduring Freedom Afghanistan."

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

S.B. 597 amends the Transportation Code to require the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to issue specialty license plates for persons who served in the U.S. military and participated in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.  The bill requires the license plates to include the words "Enduring Freedom Afghanistan."

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2013.