AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Section 504.303 (Members or Former Members of the United States Armed Forces), Texas Transportation Code, requires the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to offer current and former members of branches of the United States Armed Forces specialty license plates designed for their branch of service for a fee.  Section 504.3011 (Design of Certain License Plates for the Military) requires that military plates be offered and include the words "Honorably Discharged." 

 

S.B. 1376 amends the statute to allow a military retiree with 20 or more years of satisfactory military service to have the word "Retired" placed on his or her military license plates in addition to the appropriate military branch.  Those who serve 20 or more years receive a letter acknowledging their service, and this letter would be proof of eligibility for the plates.   

 

As proposed, S.B. 1376 amends current law relating to specialty license plates issued to retired members of the United States armed forces.

 

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. Amends Section 504.303, Transportation Code, by adding Subsections (b) and (c), as follows:

 

(b) Requires the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) to include the word "Retired" for license plates issued to retired members of the United States armed forces who have completed 20 or more years of satisfactory federal service.

 

(c) Provides that a letter from the United States Department of Defense, the Department of the Army, or the Department of the Air Force stating that a retired member has 20 or more years of satisfactory federal service is satisfactory proof of eligibility.

 

SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2013.