BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 1371

By: Menéndez

Defense & Veterans' Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties note the need to honor recipients of the Commendation Medal with Valor and recipients of the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal. S.B. 1371 seeks to honor such recipients with the issuance of specialty license plates.

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

S.B. 1371 amends the Transportation Code to require the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) to issue specialty license plates for recipients of the Commendation Medal with Valor for each branch of the military and for joint service. The bill requires the license plates to include the appropriate Commendation Medal emblem and the name of the medal at the bottom of each plate. The bill requires the license plates that are not personalized to also include the letter "V" as a prefix or suffix to the numerals on each plate.

S.B. 1371 requires TxDMV to issue specialty license plates for recipients of the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal that include the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal emblem and the words "Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal" at the bottom of each plate.

S.B. 1371 excludes the license plates issued under the bill's provisions from the specialty license plates for the military for which one set is required to be issued without the payment of the vehicle registration fee.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2017.