BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 3521
85R13649 JAM-F	By: Lambert et al. (Buckingham)
	Veteran Affairs & Border Security
	5/15/2017
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Interested parties note that there are a number of service award emblems for which Texas veterans may be eligible that are not currently offered by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) for inclusion on a specialty license plate. H.B. 3521 seeks to address this issue by expanding the types of military specialty license plates issued by TxDMV.

H.B. 3521 amends the Transportation Code to require TxDMV to issue specialty license plates for recipients of the following military awards that include the name of the award: the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal; the Armed Forces Service Medal; the Navy Expeditionary Medal; the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; the Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal; the Merchant Marine Expeditionary Medal; the Kosovo Campaign Medal; and the Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal. The bill includes an emblem from each such license plate among the emblems a person entitled to a specialty license plate for veterans with disabilities may request for inclusion on the person's license plate, if applicable.

H.B. 3521 amends current law relating to the issuance of specialty license plates for certain veterans.

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. Reenacts Section 504.202(e-1), Transportation Code, as amended by Chapters 708 (H.B. 1128) and 716 (H.B. 1273), Acts of the 84th Legislature, Regular Session, 2015, and amends it to authorize license plates issued under this section (Veterans With Disabilities), other than license plates issued under Subsection (h) (relating to a certain person electing to receive license plates under Chapter 502 (Registration of Vehicles) under the same conditions for the issuance of license plates under this section), to include, on request, one emblem from another license plate to which the person is entitled under certain sections, including Section 504.3161.

SECTION 2. Amends Subchapter D, Chapter 504, Transportation Code, by adding Section 504.3161, as follows:

Sec. 504.3161.� MILITARY SPECIALTY LICENSE PLATES FOR RECIPIENTS OF CERTAIN MILITARY CAMPAIGN AND SERVICE AWARDS. Requires the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to issue specialty license plates for recipients of certain enumerated military awards that include the name of the award.

SECTION 3. Provides that, to the extent of any conflict, this Act prevails over another Act of the 85th Legislature, Regular Session, 2017, relating to nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in enacted codes.

SECTION 4. Effective date: September 1, 2017.