BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 2503

By: Lujan

Defense & Veterans' Affairs

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Constituents have raised concerns over inconsistencies regarding the issuance of specialty license plates for veterans and disabled veterans, as well as military awards that are not represented among those license plates. C.S.H.B. 2503 seeks to address these concerns by providing for the issuance and expanding the availability of certain 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

C.S.H.B. 2503 amends the Transportation Code to require the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) to issue the following specialty license plates:

· specialty license plates for recipients of the Texas Humanitarian Service Medal that include the words "Texas Humanitarian Service Medal" and a depiction of the Texas Humanitarian Service Medal emblem; and

· specialty license plates for recipients of the federal Humanitarian Service Medal that include the words "Humanitarian Service Medal" and a depiction of the federal Humanitarian Service Medal emblem.

The bill includes such emblems and an emblem from a U.S. paratroopers license plate among those that may be included on request on a specialty license plate issued to veterans with disabilities.

C.S.H.B. 2503 establishes legislative intent to harmonize the bill's provisions with another Act of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023, relating to nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in enacted codes.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.

COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 2503 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

The substitute includes a requirement absent from the introduced for TxDMV to issue specialty license plates for recipients of the federal Humanitarian Service Medal and includes that license plate's applicable emblem among those that may be included on request on a specialty license plate issued to veterans with disabilities, whereas the introduced did not.