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.