HBA-CMT C.S.H.B. 2110 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 2110
By: Pickett
Transportation
4/25/2001
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, United States veterans are allowed to purchase specialized
license plates for their automobiles that indicate their status as veterans
of the armed forces.  However, current law does not include specialized
license plates for motorcycles.  C.S.H.B. 2110 requires the Texas
Department of Transportation to issue specially-designed license plates for
motorcycles owned by retired or honorably discharged members of the United
States armed forces and their surviving spouses.   

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

C.S.H.B. 2110 amends the Transportation Code to require the Texas
Department of Transportation (department) to issue specially designed
license plates for motorcycles owned by retired or honorably discharged
members of the United States armed forces.  The plates must include the
words "U.S. Veteran." The bill sets forth procedures for the issuance of
the special plates and the annual fee for the issuance of the license
plates.   

The bill requires the department to send 50 cents of each fee collected
from the issuance of the special plates to the county treasurer of the
county in which the applicant resides.  The county treasurer is required to
credit the money received to the general fund of the county to pay the
costs of administering the issuance of the special plates.     

If an owner of a motorcycle disposes of the motorcycle during a
registration year, the owner is required to return the special plates to
the department.  The owner is authorized to apply for issuance of the
plates to another motorcycle. 

The bill entitles the surviving spouse of a person who would be eligible
for a motorcycle license plate for retired or honorably discharged members
of the United States armed forces to register one motorcycle with that type
of license plate as long as the surviving spouse remains unmarried.  

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 2110 modifies the original bill by adding that the surviving
spouse of a person who would be eligible for a motorcycle license plate for
retired or honorably discharged members of the United States armed forces
is entitled to register one motorcycle with that type of license plate as
long as the surviving spouse remains unmarried.