BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 1091
86R5877 JAM-F	By: Nichols
	Transportation
	3/18/2019
	As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Section 372.053, Transportation Code, authorizes a toll entity to establish a discount program for eligible veterans. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) administers the current discount program, to waive tolls for certain veterans on TxDOT-owned toll roads. Current law does not limit the number of plates a qualifying veteran may obtain, though Sections 504.202 and 504.315, Transportation Code, specify that vehicle registration should be for a veteran�s own use.

In fiscal year 2017, on the Central Texas Turnpike System and Grand Parkway, a total of 6.8 million transactions qualified for the veteran toll discount. As of August 31, 2017, 315,899 plates were eligible for the discount. 69,825 veterans had more than one qualifying license plates, and of that number, 719 veterans had five or more qualifying plates.

S.B. 1091 would limit the number of plates that a veteran is allowed to register for purposes of receiving the discount program for eligible veterans to one. Recognize that the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles has a system in place to designate a primary plate and allow free passage for the specified plate for each qualifying veteran.

As proposed, S.B. 1091 amends current law relating to vehicles eligible for veteran toll discount programs.

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 372.053(a), Transportation Code, as follows:

(a) Requires a discount program for electronic toll collection customers established by a toll project entity to include free or discounted use of the entity's toll project by an electronic toll collection customer operating, as designated by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles:

(1) a vehicle registered under Section 504.202(a) (relating to authorizing a person who is entitled to a certain specialty license plate to register one vehicle without a fee under certain conditions) or (c) (relating to authorizing certain organizations to register a motor vehicle under certain conditions), rather than a vehicle registered under Section 504.202 (Veterans With Disabilities); or

(2) a vehicle registered under Section 504.315(f) (relating to plates issued to recipients of certain medals) or (g) (relating to plates issued to recipients of the Purple Heart) for which a fee exemption was granted under Section 504.3015(a)(2) (relating to authorizing certain license plates to be issued without a registration fee).

SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2019.