HBA-CMT S.B. 1353 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 1353 By: Armbrister Transportation 5/18/2001 Committee Report (Amended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, recipients of an Air Force Cross or Distinguished Service Cross, the Army Distinguished Service Cross, the Navy Cross, or the Medal of Honor and former prisoners of war are allowed only one specialissue license plate while a Purple Heart recipient is allowed a special-issue license for each registered vehicle owned by the person. Senate Bill 1353 allows recipients of an Air Force Cross or Distinguished Service Cross, Army Distinguished Service Cross, Navy Cross, or Medal of Honor and former prisoners of war to obtain multiple sets of special issue license plates. 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. ANALYSIS Senate Bill 1353 amends the Transportation Code to require the Texas Department of Transportation to issue additional specially designed license plates for cars and light trucks owned by recipients of an Air Force Cross or Distinguished Service Cross, the Army Distinguished Service Cross, the Navy Cross, or the Medal of Honor. The bill sets forth an annual fee of $15 for each set of license plates issued to the person beyond the first set. The bill sets forth that the fee for registering a car or light truck with specially designed former prisoner of war license plates is $15 for each set of license plates issued to the person beyond the first set. The bill sets forth that a person who registers more than one vehicle with a former prisoner of war license plate or an Air Force Cross or Distinguished Service Cross, Army Distinguished Service Cross, Navy Cross, or Medal of Honor recipient license plate is entitled to only one exemption from the applicable annual vehicle registration fee. The bill deletes the provision authorizing the owner of a passenger car or light truck registered with a former prisoner of war license plate to register another vehicle without charge if the original vehicle registered with the plates is disposed of during the registration year. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001. EXPLANATION OF AMENDMENTS Committee Amendment No. 1 requires the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to issue specially designed license plates for passenger cars and light trucks owned by members or alumnae of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. The plates must include the words "Delta Sigma Theta." The amendment sets forth a $25 annual fee for a Delta Sigma Theta plate in addition to the standard motor vehicle registration fee and requires TxDOT to use $8 of the fee to defray the cost of issuing the plates and to deposit the remainder of the fee to the credit of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority account. The amendment also amends the Education Code to establish the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority account (account) as a separate account in the general revenue fund. The amendment provides that the Texas Education Agency (TEA) administers the account and that the account consists of money collected from the issuance of Delta Sigma Theta license plates. TEA is authorized to spend money credited to the account to make grants to benefit programs sponsored by the El Paso Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.