BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3365

By: Perez, Mary Ann

Transportation

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The bill author has informed the committee that the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles contracts with a private vendor to design, market, and sell certain specialty license plates, which has increased consumer access to a variety of plate designs that support charities, non-profits, universities, and other programs, but that there is no explicit statutory authorization for home delivery of these specialty license plates. The bill author has also informed the committee that this limits flexibility and inconveniences consumers and that in-person or in-office pickup is unnecessary or burdensome. C.S.H.B. 3365 seeks to improve the consumer experience by authorizing home delivery of these specialty license plates. The bill also provides for the recovery and remittance of fees typically charged by local county tax assessor-collectors.

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. 3365 amends the Transportation Code to require a contract entered into by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) with a private vendor for the marketing of specialty license plates to allow the private vendor to do the following:

· offer home delivery of license plates for an additional fee to the registered owner's address as shown in TxDMV's vehicle registration record; and

· if the vendor offers home delivery of license plates and the applicable county tax assessor-collector customarily charges a fee for the handling and distribution of specialty license plates, to collect that fee on behalf of and remit it to the county tax assessor-collector or to recover the cost incurred to the vendor from that fee by charging an additional fee in an amount equal to the county tax assessor-collector's fee.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2025.

COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 3365 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.

Both the introduced and substitute require a contract entered into by TxDMV with a private vendor for the marketing of specialty license plates to allow the private vendor to offer home delivery of the license plates for an additional fee. However, the two versions differ as follows:

· whereas the introduced authorized the private vendor to recover or remit any fees customarily charged by the county tax assessor-collector for the handling and distribution of specialty license plates, the substitute requires a contract to allow the private vendor, if the vendor offers home delivery of license plates and the applicable county tax assessor-collector customarily charges a fee for the handling and distribution of specialty license plates, to collect that fee on behalf of and remit it to the county tax assessor-collector or to recover the cost incurred to the vendor from that fee by charging an additional fee in an amount equal to the county tax assessor-collector's fee; and

· whereas the introduced established that a purchaser of the plates is only eligible for home delivery if the delivery address matches the vehicle's registered address on record, the substitute specifies that the home delivery of applicable license plates must be to the registered owner's address as shown in the TxDMV's vehicle registration records.