BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 5135

By: Kacal

Transportation

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

K9s4KIDs provides trained K9s to schools and universities and was created in 2013 after the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook. The K9s4KIDs initiative provides K9s to schools making them a safer place for students, faculty, staff, and visitors. K9s4KIDs was created to sustain an alternative, kinder, and gentler approach to keeping our school children safe. In addition to the safety of having a trained police dog on campus to protect the students, these four-legged officers and their handlers provide outreach by visiting with students at school assemblies and events and participating in crime safety prevention presentations. These fast-acting K9s also provide security at sporting events and school venues and have protected an estimated two million people from the threat of bombs and explosives. H.B. 5135 seeks to recognize K9s4KIDs by requiring the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to issue K9s4KIDs specialty license plates and design the license plates in consultation with K9s4KIDs. A portion of the funds collected for issuance of the specialty plates will be used in the funding of police dogs by schools. 

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

H.B. 5135 amends the Transportation Code to require the Texas Department  of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) to issue K9s4KIDs specialty license plates and design the license plates in consultation with K9s4KIDs. The bill requires the remainder of the fee for issuance of the license plates, after deduction of TxDMV administrative costs, to be deposited to the credit of the general revenue fund to be used only by the office of the governor in making grants to nonprofit organizations for the purpose of funding the purchase of police dogs by a public or private primary or secondary school or by a public, private, or independent institution of higher education.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.