HBA-MPA H.B. 2554 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2554 By: Jones, Charles Transportation 4/12/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, the Texas Department of Transportation issues specialized license plates recognizing more than 60 different groups including families of police officers killed in the line of duty, survivors of all major wars, mothers who lost a child while serving in the United States armed forces, and former prisoners of war. The Air forces Escape and Evasion Society was founded in 1964. Its membership consists of those who have been forced down behind enemy lines and avoided or escaped from enemy captivity. H.B. 2554 authorizes the Texas Department of Transportation to issue specialized license plates for members of the Air Forces Escape and Evasion Society. 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 502.2571, as follows: Sec. 502.2571. MEMBERS OF AIR FORCES ESCAPE & EVASION SOCIETY. (a) Requires the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to issue specially designed license plates for passenger cars and light trucks owned by members of the Air Forces Escape & Evasion Society. (b) Provides that license plates issued under this section must include Air Forces Escape & Evasion Society's logo. (c) Requires TxDOT to issue license plates under this section to a person who applies on a form prescribed by the department, pays an annual fee of $3, and submits proof that the person is a member of the Air Forces Escape & Evasion Society. (d) Requires the department to send 50 cents of each fee collected under this section to the county in which the applicant resides. Requires the county treasurer to credit money received under this section to the general fund of the county to pay the costs of administering this section. (e) Provides that a vehicle for which license plates have been issued under this section is exempt from the fee under Section 502.161 (Fee: Passenger Car, Municipal Bus, Private Bus). (f) Provides that a person may be issued one set of license plates under this section. (g) Requires an owner who disposes of a vehicle registered under this section during the registration year to return the special license plates to TxDOT. Authorizes the owner to then apply for issuance of those plates to another vehicle. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 3. Emergency clause.