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.