HBA-TYH S.B. 1358 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 1358 By: Barrientos Transportation 5/17/1999 Engrossed BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, emergency medical services personnel are not provided specialized license plates. The purpose of this bill is to provide a means for emergency personnel to be immediately recognized and allowed access onto an emergency scene when arriving at the accident scene in the individual's private vehicle. S.B. 1358 allows the issuance of specialized license plates to emergency medical services personnel certified or licensed by the Texas Department of Health. 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 502.298, as follows: Sec. 502.298. EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PERSONNEL. (a) Requires the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to issue specially designed license plates for passenger cars and light trucks owned by emergency medical services personnel who are certified or licensed by the Texas Department of Health. (b) Requires the license plates to include the words "Emergency Medical Services" and to display a blue reflective Star of Life. (c) Authorizes a person to apply to TxDOT for registration on a required form prescribed by TxDOT through the county assessor-collector of the county in which the person resides. Requires TxDOT to prescribe the form of the application. Requires TxDOT to require the applicant to submit satisfactory proof of eligibility under this section. (d) Provides that the registration fee for the issuance of the special plates under this section is the fee otherwise prescribed for the vehicle by this chapter (Registration of Vehicles) plus an additional fee of $4. Requires the county assessor-collector to send the additional fee to TxDOT to defray the cost of providing the special license plates. (e) Provides that registration under this section is valid for one year. (f) Authorizes a person to register only one vehicle for the person's own use. (g) Requires the registered vehicle owner to return the special license plates to TxDOT if the owner disposes of the vehicle during the registration year. Authorizes the owner to then register another vehicle under this section. (h) Requires the owner to return the special license plates to TxDOT if action is taken by the Texas Department of Health resulting in loss of the certification or license of the owner of the vehicle. SECTION 2.Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 3.Emergency clause.