HBA-MSH H.B. 1257 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1257 By: Shields Transportation 4/5/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE According to the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services (PRS), 2063 adoptions were completed in 2000. PRS spent $58 million in adoption subsidy payments in fiscal year 2000. PRS could benefit from more resources for adoption services as well as increased public awareness of the issue. House Bill 1257 creates a special "Choose Life" license plate, the fees from which will go to PRS to fund nonprofit groups that provide adoption support services. 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 House Bill 1257 amends the Transportation Code to require the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to issue specially designed license plates for passenger cars and light trucks that bear the words "Choose Life." The bill provides for the issuance and return of the plates. The bill requires TxDOT to deposit the $20 application fee to the credit of a separate account in the general revenue fund which may be appropriated only to the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services (PRS) to support nonprofit groups in the state that exclusively counsel and meet the needs of pregnant women who are committed to placing their children for adoption. The bill requires the PRS to establish reporting and other mechanisms necessary to ensure that the money is spent for those purposes. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.