HBA-MPM, NIK H.B. 1227 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1227
By: Jones, Jesse
Transportation
8/17/1999
Enrolled



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

H.B. 1227 requires the Texas Department of Transportation to create "New
Millennium" license plates, which owners of passenger cars and light trucks
may purchase for an additional fee.  This bill also creates New Millennium
Reading Program Grants, which are funded by monies from fees collected from
New Millennium license plates and which will fund programs promoting
reading at public libraries.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Subchapter F, Chapter 502, Transportation Code, by
adding Section 502.2663, as follows: 

Sec. 502.2663.  NEW MILLENNIUM LICENSE PLATES.  (a)  Requires the Texas
Department of Transportation (department) to issue specially designed new
millennium license plates for passenger cars and light trucks. 

(b)  Provides that the license plates must bear the words "New Millennium"
and be of a color, quality, and design approved by the department from
entries submitted by middle school students in a competition conducted by
the department. 

(c)  Requires the department to issue license plates to a person who
applies to the assessor-collector of the county in which the person resides
and pays the appropriate fee. 

(d)  Requires the department to set an annual administration fee, not to
exceed $5, and an annual additional amount of $25 for each set of plates or
$15 for each set of plates for a fleet of 50 or more vehicles. 

(e) Provides that the administration fee may only be used to defray the
cost of administering this section. 

(f)  Requires the department to deposit any additional fees collected into
an account in the general revenue fund to be known as the new millennium
reading program account. Provides that money from this account may only be
used to make grants under Section 441.0092, Government Code.  Provides that
the account is composed of money required to be deposited to the credit of
the account and any donations made to the account. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Subchapter A,  Chapter 441, Government Code, by adding
Section 441.0092, as follows: 

Sec. 441.0092.  NEW MILLENNIUM READING PROGRAM GRANTS.  (a)  Requires the
Texas State Library and Archives Commission (commission) to use the money
in the new millennium reading program account to make grants to fund
programs to promote reading  provided by public libraries. 

(b)  Requires the commission to determine standards that a reading
promotion program must meet to be eligible for a grant, to provide the
procedures for application for a grant, and to determine the recipient and
amount of each grant. 

SECTION 3.Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 4.Emergency clause.