HBA-ALS H.B. 1686 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1686
By: Hunter
Transportation
4/11/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The purpose of this bill is to raise funds for tourism efforts in Texas and
to create a marketing piece to advertise the state's tourism logo.  H.B.
1686 authorizes the Texas Department of Economic Development to issue
specialized "Texas: It's Like a Whole Other Country" license plates.  This
bill also provides for the repeal of this program if it does not generate
over $100,000 by September 1, 2003. 

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 502.2733, as follows: 

Sec. 502.2733.  TEXAS. IT'S LIKE A WHOLE OTHER COUNTRY LICENSE PLATES. (a)
Requires the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to issue specially
designed "Texas.  It's Like A Whole Other Country" license plates for
passenger cars and light trucks.  

(b)  Provides that the license plates must include the trademarked Texas
patch and the words "Texas.  It's Like A Whole Other Country" and be of a
color, quality, and design approved by the Texas Department of Economic
Development.  

(c)  Requires TxDOT to issue license plates under this section to a person
who applies to the county assessor-collector of the county in which the
person resides on a form provided by TxDOT and pays an annual fee of $30,
in addition to the applicable fees prescribed by Sections 502.161
(Passenger Car, Municipal Bus, Private Bus) and 502.251 (Personalized
Prestige License Plates). 
. 
(d)  Requires that $25 of the fees collected under this section be
deposited to the credit of the tourism and marketing account in the general
revenue fund to finance the Texas Department of Economic Development's
tourism activities and marketing of that department's other programs and $5
be deposited to the credit of the state highway fund to defray the cost of
administering this section.  

(e)  Requires an owner of a vehicle registered under this section who
disposes of the vehicle during the registration to return the special
license plates to the department.  

SECTION 2.  Requires the comptroller of public accounts, before January 1,
2004, to determine the total amount collected under Subsection (d), before
September 1, 2003, and to submit the determination to the secretary of
state for publication in the Texas Register.  Provides that if the amount
of the comptroller's determination is less than $100,000, Section 502.2733,
Transportation Code, as added by this Act, expires on January 1, 2004.  

SECTION 3.Effective date: September 1, 1999. 
 
SECTION 4.Emergency clause.