BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 3815
89R12111 GP-F	By: Orr; Bumgarner (Schwertner)
	Transportation
	5/20/2025
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) currently issues several specialty license plates related to military service. The bill author has informed the committee that veterans of the U.S. Army Rangers, an elite direct-action raid force of the U.S. Army, have expressed interest in creating an official specialty license plate commemorating their military service, and that such a plate would be welcomed by both active and veteran U.S. Army Rangers. H.B. 3815 seeks to require TxDMV to create a U.S. Army Ranger plate and a plate for the 75th Army Ranger Regiment with specified emblems.

H.B. 3815 amends current law relating to issuance of specialty license plates for certain United States Army Rangers.

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. Reenacts Section 504.202(e-1), Transportation Code, as amended by Chapters 385 (H.B. 282), 506 (H.B. 2503), 768 (H.B. 4595), and 1050 (S.B. 280), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023, and amends it, as follows:

(e-1) Authorizes license plates issued under Section 504.202 (Veterans With Disabilities), other than license plates issued under Subsection (h) (relating to authorizing a person entitled to license plates under this section to elect to receive license plates under the same conditions for the issuance of license plates under this section), to include on request, certain emblems, including one emblem from another license plate to which the person is entitled under certain sections of the Transportation Code, including Section 504.336, 504.337, 504.338, 504.339, or 504.340. Makes a nonsubstantive change.

SECTION 2. Amends Subchapter D, Chapter 504, Transportation Code, by adding Sections 504.339 and 504.340, as follows:

Sec. 504.339. UNITED STATES ARMY RANGER. (a) Requires the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) to issue specialty license plates for a person who is an active or former member of a United States Army Ranger unit or a graduate of the United States Army Ranger School.

(b) Requires that the license plates include a likeness of the Ranger tab authorized by the Department of the Army and the words "U.S. Army Ranger."

Sec. 504.340. 75TH ARMY RANGER REGIMENT. (a) Requires TxDMV to issue specialty license plates for a person who is an active or former member of the United States Army 75th Ranger Regiment.

(b) Requires that the license plates include a likeness of the 75th Ranger Regiment shoulder sleeve insignia above a likeness of the 75th Ranger Regiment designated unit insignia and the words "75th Army Ranger Regiment" at the bottom of the license plates.

SECTION 3. Provides that, to the extent of any conflict, this Act prevails over another Act of the 89th Legislature, Regular Session, 2025, relating to nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in enacted codes.

SECTION 4. Effective date: September 1, 2025.