HBA-DMD C.S.H.B. 3114 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 3114 By: Uresti County Affairs 4/26/1999 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current Texas law, disabled veterans and recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor are exempt from county parking fees. However, former prisoners of war and Purple Heart Recipients are not granted the same exemption under state law. C.S.H.B. 3114 authorizes the commissioners court of a county to permit a former prisoner of war or a person awarded the Purple Heart or a Congressional Medal of Honor to park free of charge in any county parking facility. 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 A, Chapter 445, Local Government Code, by adding Section 445.004, as follows: Sec. 445.004. FREE PARKING IN COUNTY PARKING FACILITIES. Authorizes the commissioners court of a county by order to permit former prisoners of war or persons awarded the Purple Heart or a Congressional Medal of Honor to park free of charge in any county parking facility. Authorizes the commissioners court of a county to adopt procedures to administer this section, including procedures to verify that a person is a former prisoner of war or has been awarded the Purple Heart or Congressional Medal of Honor. SECTION 2.Emergency clause. Effective date: 90 days after adjournment. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE This substitute modifies proposed Section 445.004, Local Government Code, in SECTION 1, by changing the title of the section from "Free Parking in Certain County Parking Facilities" in the original bill to "Free Parking in County Parking Facilities" in the substitute. This substitute deletes text setting forth that this section applies only to a county with a population of 1.18 million or more. This substitute deletes text authorizing a former prisoner of war or a person awarded the Purple Heart or a Congressional Medal of Honor to park free of charge in any county parking facility and requiring the commissioners court of the county to adopt procedures to administer this section. This substitute adds a provision authorizing the commissioners court of a county to permit former prisoners of war or persons awarded the Purple Heart or a Congressional Medal of Honor to park free of charge in any county parking facility. This substitute also authorizes the commissioners court of a county to adopt procedures to administer this section, including procedures to verify that a person is a former prisoner of war or has been awarded the Purple Heart or Congressional Medal of Honor.