BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 2905

By: Davis, Sarah

Transportation

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Currently, the state is allowed to create and sell specialty license plates the proceeds from which support institutions and causes important to Texas citizens. Interested parties point to the significance of the Texas Medical Center, with numerous hospitals, support organizations, research institutions, and medical schools. These parties note that as a pioneer in patient care, research, education, and prevention, the Texas Medical Center deserves recognition in the form of a specialty license plate to help further important causes in the medical field. C.S.H.B. 2905 seeks to provide this recognition.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

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. 2905 amends the Transportation Code to require the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) to issue Texas Medical Center specialty license plates designed in consultation with the Texas Medical Center. The bill requires the portion of the fee for issuance of the license plates that remains after deduction of TxDMV's administrative costs to be deposited to the credit of an account in a trust fund created by the comptroller of public accounts outside the general revenue fund. The bill restricts the use of money deposited to that account to use by the comptroller to provide grants benefiting the Texas Medical Center and member institutions of the Texas Medical Center.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2015.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 2905 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following comparison is organized and formatted in a manner that indicates the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

INTRODUCED	HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
SECTION 1.  Subchapter G, Chapter 504, Transportation Code, is amended by adding Section 504.665 to read as follows: Sec. 504.665.  TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER LICENSE PLATES.  (a) The department shall issue specialty license plates.  The department shall design the license plates in consultation with Texas Medical Center. (b)  After deduction of the department's administrative costs, the remainder of the fee for issuance of the license plates shall be deposited to the credit of an account created by the comptroller in the manner provided by Section 504.6012(b).  Money deposited to that account may be used only by the attorney general to provide grants to benefit Texas Medical Center and member institutions of Texas Medical Center.	SECTION 1.  Subchapter G, Chapter 504, Transportation Code, is amended by adding Section 504.665 to read as follows: Sec. 504.665.  TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER LICENSE PLATES.  (a) The department shall issue Texas Medical Center specialty license plates.  The department shall design the license plates in consultation with Texas Medical Center. (b)  After deduction of the department's administrative costs, the remainder of the fee for issuance of the license plates shall be deposited to the credit of an account created by the comptroller in the manner provided by Section 504.6012(b).  Money deposited to that account may be used only by the comptroller to provide grants to benefit Texas Medical Center and member institutions of Texas Medical Center.
SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.	SECTION 2. Same as introduced version.