By: Larson (Senate Sponsor - Campbell) H.B. No. 120
(In the Senate - Received from the House April 15, 2013;
April 18, 2013, read first time and referred to Committee on
Transportation; May 9, 2013, reported favorably by the following
vote: Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 9, 2013, sent to printer.)
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the issuance of military specialty license plates;
providing an exemption from a fee.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 504.202(e-1), Transportation Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(e-1) Other than license plates issued under Subsection
(h), license plates issued under this section to a person also
entitled to license plates issued under Section 504.308, 504.315,
[or] 504.316, or 504.319 may, at the request of the person, include
one emblem from the other license plates to which the person is
entitled.
SECTION 2. Section 504.301, Transportation Code, is amended
by adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
(c) Section 504.702 does not apply to a specialty license
plate issued under this subchapter.
SECTION 3. Section 504.3015(a), Transportation Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(a) A person applying for a set of license plates under this
subchapter shall pay the registration fee required under Chapter
502 and the applicable special plate fee required under this
section, except that one set of license plates shall be issued under
Section 504.308, [or] 504.315, or 504.319 without the payment of
the registration fee.
SECTION 4. Section 504.315(a), Transportation Code, as
added by Chapter 709 (H.B. 559), Acts of the 82nd Legislature,
Regular Session, 2011, is amended to read as follows:
(a) The department shall issue specialty license plates for
recipients of the Bronze Star Medal and Bronze Star Medal with
Valor. License plates issued under this subsection must include
the Bronze Star Medal emblem and must include the words "Bronze Star
Medal" at the bottom of each plate. License plates issued under
this subsection to recipients of the Bronze Star Medal with Valor
that are not personalized must also include the letter "V" as a
prefix or suffix to the numerals on each plate. [Section 504.702
does not apply to license plates authorized by this subsection.]
SECTION 5. Section 504.315(a), Transportation Code, as
added by Chapter 460 (S.B. 1755), Acts of the 82nd Legislature,
Regular Session, 2011, is redesignated as Section 504.315(b),
Transportation Code, and amended to read as follows:
(b) [(a)] The department shall issue specialty license
plates for recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal. License
plates issued under this subsection must include the Distinguished
Service Medal emblem and the words "Distinguished Service Medal" at
the bottom of each plate. [Section 504.702 does not apply to
license plates authorized by this subsection.]
SECTION 6. Section 504.315(h), Transportation Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(h) The department shall issue special license plates for
recipients of the Silver Star Medal. License plates issued under
this subsection must include the Silver Star Medal emblem and must
include the words "Silver Star Medal" at the bottom of each
plate. [Section 504.702 does not apply to license plates
authorized by this subsection.]
SECTION 7. Subchapter D, Chapter 504, Transportation Code,
is amended by adding Section 504.319 to read as follows:
Sec. 504.319. DEFENSE SUPERIOR SERVICE MEDAL RECIPIENTS.
The department shall issue specialty license plates for recipients
of the Defense Superior Service Medal. License plates issued under
this section must include the words "Defense Superior Service
Medal" at the bottom of each plate.
SECTION 8. Section 681.008(b), Transportation Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(b) A vehicle on which license plates described by
Subsection (a)(2) or issued under Section 504.202, 504.315,
[Section 504.315(a), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g), or (h), or Section]
504.316, or 504.319 are displayed is exempt from the payment of a
parking fee collected through a parking meter charged by a
governmental authority other than a branch of the federal
government, when being operated by or for the transportation of:
(1) the person who registered the vehicle under
Section 504.202(a), 504.315, [Section 504.315(a), (c), (d), (e),
(f), (g), or (h), or Section] 504.316, or 504.319;
(2) a person described in Section 504.202(b) if the
vehicle is registered under that subsection; or
(3) the owner or operator of a vehicle displaying
license plates described by Subsection (a)(2).
SECTION 9. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.
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