HBA-TYH H.B. 378 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 378
By: Williams
Transportation
4/12/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, Texas does not offer special license plates for constables or
deputy constables.  However, many Texas counties require their constables
and deputies to provide their own cars to be used in an official capacity.
Constables or deputies may encounter certain individuals who do not
recognize the personal cars as law enforcement vehicles because of the lack
of any specific indication on the vehicle. Special license plates would
alert a driver of the approach of a law enforcement officer.  H.B.  378
allows the state to issue special license plates for constables and deputy
constables. 

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 502.2952, as follows: 

Sec. 502.2952.  TEXAS CONSTABLE LICENSE PLATES.  (a)  Requires the Texas
Department of Transportation (department) to design and provide for the
issuance of special license plates for a passenger car or light truck that
is owned by a person who is a constable or deputy constable of this state.

(b)  Requires the license plates to bear the words "Texas Constable."

(c)  Requires the department to issue such a license plate to anyone who
applies to the county tax collector in the county of the person's residence
on a form prescribed by the department, pays the fee prescribed by
Subsection (d), and submits proof that the person is a constable or deputy
constable of this state.   

(d)  Provides that the fee for registration and issuance of the special
license plate 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 same manner as do regular motor vehicle registrations,
except as provided by Subsection (f). 

(f)  Provides that registration expires when the owner of the vehicle for
which the special plates were issued ceases to be a constable or deputy
constable.  Requires the owner to return the special license plates to the
department. 

(g)  Requires the owner of a vehicle for which plates are issued to return
the special plates to the department, if the person disposes of the vehicle
during a registration year, and provides that the person may at that time
apply for issuance of those plates to another vehicle. 

(h)  Authorizes the owner of the vehicle for which the plates were issued
to obtain  replacement plates from the department by paying a replacement
fee of five dollars, if the license plates are lost, stolen, or mutilated. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.