BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 979

By: Kacal

Transportation

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties contend that a specialty license plate for recipients of the Star of Texas Award would serve to honor and pay respect to the peace officers, firefighters, and emergency medical first responders who have been seriously injured or killed in the line of duty. C.S.H.B. 979 seeks to recognize Star of Texas Award recipients and their service by providing for the issuance of such a specialty license plate.  

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. 979 amends the Transportation Code to require the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to issue specialty license plates that include the Star of Texas Award emblem and the words "Star of Texas" for persons who are recipients of a Star of Texas Award.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2017.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 979 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.