By: Herrero H.B. No. 3957
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the issuance of specialty license plates to honor
active and former members of the United States armed forces exposed
to open burn pits.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 504, Transportation Code,
is amended by adding Section 504.331 to read as follows:
Sec. 504.331. VETERANS EXPOSED TO OPEN BURN PITS. (a) The
department shall issue specialty license plates for active and
former members of the United States armed forces who were exposed to
open burn pits during their military service. The license plates
must include:
(1) the words "Burn Pits 360 Veterans Organization";
and
(2) a depiction of the Burn Pits 360 nonprofit
organization logo.
(b) The department shall send any fee for issuance of the
license plates made under this section to the comptroller for
deposit in the state treasury to the credit of the open burn pit
registry fund not later than the 14th day of each month. Before
sending the money to the fund, the department may deduct money equal
to the amount of reasonable expenses for administering this
section.
SECTION 2. Chapter 99, Health and Safety Code, as added by
Chapter 153 (H.B. 306), Acts of the 86th Legislature, Regular
Session, 2019, is amended by adding Section 99.008 to read as
follows:
Sec. 99.008. OPEN BURN PIT REGISTRY FUND. (a) The open
burn pit registry fund is a special fund in the state treasury
outside the general revenue fund. The fund is composed of:
(1) money transferred to the fund at the direction of
the legislature;
(2) gifts and grants contributed to the fund;
(3) the earnings of the fund; and
(4) money deposited to the credit of the fund under
Section 411.1742, Government Code.
(b) Money in the fund may be appropriated only to the
department. The department may use the money only for the purpose
of creating and maintaining the open burn pit registry established
under Section 99.003, except that the department may use the money
for any other purpose consistent with appropriation if the
department finds that contributions exceed the amount necessary for
adequately funding the open burn pit registry.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.