HBA-DMD S.B. 322 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 322
By: Ellis
Transportation
4/15/99
Engrossed



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Under current law, there is no provision for the creation of special
license plates benefitting the Girl Scouts. S.B. 322 requires the Texas
Department of Transportation (department) to issue specially designed Girl
Scout license plates for passenger cars and light trucks. This bill
requires the department to issue license plates to certain persons. This
bill also requires the department to deposit $20 of each fee collected to
the credit of the Girl Scout account in the state treasury. It authorizes
money in the account to be used only by the Texas Higher Education
Coordinating Board in making grants to benefit educational projects
sponsored or approved by the Girl Scout Councils of Texas. S.B. 322
requires the remainder of each fee collected, after being deposited in the
Girl Scout account, to be deposited to the credit of the state highway
fund, to be used only to defray the cost of administering this section.  

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 502.2931, as follows: 

Sec. 502.2931.GIRL SCOUT LICENSE PLATES. (a) Requires the Texas Department
of Transportation (department) to issue specially designed Girl Scout
license plates for passenger cars and light trucks.  

(b) Provides that the license plates must include the words "Girl Scouts"
and be of a color, quality, and design approved by the Girl Scout Councils
of Texas.  

(c) Requires the department to issue license plates under this section to
certain persons.  

(d) Requires the department to deposit $20 of each fee collected under this
section to the credit of the Girl Scout account in the state treasury.
Authorizes money in the account to be used only by the Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board in making grants to benefit educational
projects sponsored or approved by the Girl Scout Councils of Texas.  

(e) Requires the remainder of each fee collected under this section, after
being deposited in the Girl Scout account, to be deposited to the credit of
the state highway fund and authorizes the funds to be used only to defray
the cost of administering this section.  

(f) Requires the owner, if the owner of a vehicle registered under this
section disposes of the vehicle during the registration year, to return the
special license plates to the department.  

SECTION 2.Effective date: September 1, 1999.  

SECTION 3.Emergency clause.