BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center	S.B. 1371
85R11849 JXC-D	By: Men�ndez
	Transportation
	4/3/2017
	As Filed

 

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

S.B. 1371 will honor our veterans who are recipients of the Commendation Medal, the Commendation Medal with Valor, and the Military Outstanding Service Medal. The Commendation Medal is awarded to recognize distinguished service over a sustained period of time. The Commendation Medal with Valor is different in that it is usually awarded when someone displays exemplary service when in contact with the enemy. Lastly, the Military Outstanding Service Medal is given to soldiers who record over three years in length and/or 5000 hours of service with a volunteer organization. S.B. 1371 seeks to award these selfless service members with specialty license plates. Qualifying veterans would receive one free set of license plates and be exempt from parking fees.

 

As proposed, S.B. 1371 amends current law relating to the issuance of specialty license plates to honor recipients of the Commendation Medal, Commendation Medal with Valor, and Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal.

 

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. Amends Section 504.315, Transportation Code, by adding Subsections (c) and (q), as follows:

 

(c) Requires the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) to issue specialty license plates for recipients of the Commendation Medal and Commendation Medal with Valor (CMV) for each branch of the military and for joint service. Requires that license plates issued under this subsection include the appropriate Commendation Medal emblem and include the name of the medal at the bottom of each plate. Requires license plates issued under this subsection to recipients of the CMV that are not personalized to also include the letter "V" as a prefix or suffix to the numerals on each plate.

 

(q) Requires TxDMV to issue specialty license plates for recipients of the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal (MOVS). Requires license plates issued under this subsection to include the MOVS emblem and to include the words "Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal" at the bottom of each plate.

 

SECTION 2. Repealer: Section 504.320 (Commendation Medal Recipients), Transportation Code, as added by Chapter 335 (H.B. 127), Acts of the 84th Legislature, Regular Session, 2015.

 

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.