AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

H.B. 127 creates a specialty license plate for the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines, Coast Guard, and the Joint Service. Currently there are over 80 service-related specialty plates, the authority for which has come from legislation passed over the last several legislative sessions. Of the many specialty plates that exist in Texas, there is no plate that recognizes recipients of the various commendation medals issued by the United States Armed Forces. The five plates that have been created were for the Army, Navy and Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Joint Service.

 

H.B. 127 moves the specialty plate designation to a new section of Chapter 504, Subchapter D, Transportation Code, by adding Section 504.320 to include the Commendation Medal license plates in the military specialty plate category. Under this new section of the code, the recipients of these plates would pay the normal annual registration fee for their vehicles, but the license plate itself would be free.

 

H.B. 127 amends current law relating to the issuance of specialty license plates to honor recipients of the Commendation Medal.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter D, Chapter 504, Transportation Code, by adding Section 504.320, as follows:

 

Sec. 504.320. COMMENDATION MEDAL RECIPIENTS. Requires the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to issue specialty license plates for recipients of the Commendation Medal for each branch of the military and for joint service. Requires that license plates issued under this section include the emblem of the appropriate medal and include the name of the medal at the bottom of each plate.

 

SECTION 2. Effective date: January 1, 2016.