BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 3068
86R9853 JAM-F	By: Kuempel (Flores)
	Transportation
	5/13/2019
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Interested parties contend that although you can use a license plate from the year of manufacture on a classic motor vehicle, this does not include the ability to use classic license plates designated as disabled veteran license plates.

H.B. 3068 allows those entitled to disabled veteran license plates to use plates with that designation if the they were issued in the same year as the model year of the vehicle. The bill does not grant a person entitled to the specialty license plate any additional plates or reduced fees.

H.B. 3068 amends current law relating to the use of certain license plates on classic motor vehicles and travel trailers, custom vehicles, street rods, and certain exhibition vehicles.

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 504.202, Transportation Code, by adding Subsection (j), as follows:

(j) Authorizes a person entitled to license plates under this section (Veterans with Disabilities) to instead use, for a vehicle that meets the requirements of Section 504.501 (Classic Motor Vehicles and Travel Trailers; Custom Vehicles; Street Rods) or 504.502 (Certain Exhibition Vehicles), disabled veteran license plates issued by this state that are:

(1) embossed with an alphanumeric pattern;

(2) of a plate design that was issued in the same year as the model year of the vehicle; and

(3) approved for use by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV).

SECTION 2. Amends Section 504.501, Transportation Code, by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (b-1), as follows:

(b) Creates Subdivisions (2) and (3) and Subsection (b-1) from existing text of this subsection. Authorizes a person eligible for the license plates to instead use license plates that are:

(1) embossed with an alphanumeric pattern;

(2) of a plate design that was issued by this state in the same year as the model year of the vehicle, rather than were issued by this state in the same year as the model year of the vehicle; and

(3) approved for use by TxDMV, rather than are approved by TxDMV.

(b-1) Authorizes TxDMV to require the attachment of a registration insignia to a license plate described by Subsection (b) in a manner that does not affect the display of information originally on the license plate, rather than authorizing TxDMV to require the attachment of a registration insignia to the license plate in a manner that does not affect the display of information originally on the license plate.

SECTION 3. Amends Section 504.502, Transportation Code, by amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (c-1), as follows:

(c) Creates Subdivision (2) and Subsection (c-1) from existing text of this subsection. Authorizes a person eligible for certain specialty license plates to instead use license plates that are:

(1) embossed with an alphanumeric pattern;

(2) of a plate design that was issued by this state in the same year as the model year of the vehicle, provided that a passenger car is required to bear passenger car or truck license plates and a truck is required to bear passenger car or truck license plates, rather than issued by this state in the same year as the model year of the vehicle and approved by TxDMV, provided that a passenger car is required to bear passenger car or truck license plates and a truck is required to bear passenger car or truck license plates; and

(3) approved for use by TxDMV.

(c-1) Authorizes TxDMV to require attachment of a registration insignia to a license plate described by Subsection (c) in a manner that does not affect the display of information originally on the license plate, rather than authorizing TxDMV to require attachment of a registration insignia to the license plate in a manner that does not affect the display of information originally on the license plate.

SECTION 4. Effective date: September 1, 2019.