BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 3521

By: Lambert

Defense & Veterans' Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

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.

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

H.B. 3521 amends the Transportation Code to require the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (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.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2017.