HBA-MPA C.S.H.B. 3491 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 3491
By: Dunnam
Transportation
4/21/1999
Committee Report (Substituted)


BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, there are 1,193 incorporated cities in Texas represented by more
than seven thousand local elected mayors, councilpersons, and
commissioners.  Many state and county officials receive special license
plates.  C.S.H.B. 3491 proposes a special municipal license plate to be
designed for members of the governing body of a municipality. 

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 502.2953, as follows: 

Sec. 502.2953.  MUNICIPAL OFFICIALS.  (a)  Requires the Texas Department of
Transportation (TxDOT) to design and provide for the issuance of special
license plates for passenger cars and light trucks owned by persons who are
members of the governing body of a municipality of this state. 

(b) Requires that license plates issued under this section bear the words
"City Official." 

(c) Requires TxDOT to issue license plates under this section to a person
who applies to the county tax collector on a form prescribed by TxDOT, pays
the fee, and submits with the application proof that the person is a member
of the governing body of a municipality of this state. 

(d) Provides that the fee for registration under this section and issuance
of the special license plates is the fee otherwise prescribed by this
chapter for the vehicle. 

(e) Provides that registration under this section is valid for one year and
expires in the manner as do regular motor vehicle registrations, except as
provided by Subsection (f). 

(f) Provides that registration under this section expires when the owner of
the vehicle for which the special plates were issued ceases to be a member
of the governing body of a municipality .  Requires the member of the
governing body of a municipality to return the special license plate to
TxDOT. 

(g) Requires the person to return the special plates to TxDOT, if the
person disposes of the vehicle during the registration year.  Authorizes
the person to apply for issuance of those plates to another vehicle. 

(h) Authorizes the owner of a vehicle for which special plates were issued
to obtain replacement plates by paying a fee of $5 if those license plates
are lost, stolen, or mutilated. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.
 
SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 3491 differs from the original bill in SECTION 1 (proposed Section
502.2953, Transportation Code) by replacing the term "county official" with
"member of the governing body of a municipality" in proposed Subsections
(b), (c)(3), and (f).  This clarifies that this new section concerns the
issuance of special licence plates to members of the governing body of a
municipality.