Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB2376 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	S.B. No. 2376
2	2
3	3
4	4	AN ACT
5	5	relating to the issuance of Support Adoption specialty license
6	6	plates and to the Support Adoption account and certain voluntary
7	7	contributions to that account.
8	8	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9	SECTION 1. The heading to Section 402.036, Government Code,
10	10	is amended to read as follows:
11	11	Sec. 402.036. SUPPORT ADOPTION [CHOOSE LIFE] ACCOUNT.
12	12	SECTION 2. Sections 402.036(a), (b), (b-1), (e), (f), and
13	13	(g), Government Code, are amended to read as follows:
14	14	(a) The Support Adoption [Choose Life] account is a separate
15	15	account in the general revenue fund. The account is composed of:
16	16	(1) money deposited to the credit of the account under
17	17	Sections [Section] 504.662 and 521.015, Transportation Code; and
18	18	(2) gifts, grants, donations, and legislative
19	19	appropriations.
20	20	(b) The attorney general administers the Support Adoption
21	21	[Choose Life] account. The attorney general may spend money
22	22	credited to the account only to:
23	23	(1) make grants to an eligible organization; and
24	24	(2) defray the cost of administering the account,
25	25	including the cost of advertising authorized by Subsection (b-1).
26	26	(b-1) The attorney general may advertise that fees paid for
27	27	the issuance of a license plate in accordance with Section 504.662,
28	28	Transportation Code, may be used to fund the grants described by
29	29	Subsection (b)(1), provided that the money spent under this
30	30	subsection does not exceed two percent of the amount of gross
31	31	receipts deposited to the Support Adoption [Choose Life] account
32	32	during the preceding state fiscal year.
33	33	(e) The attorney general by rule shall establish:
34	34	(1) guidelines for the expenditure of money credited
35	35	to the Support Adoption [Choose Life] account; and
36	36	(2) reporting and other mechanisms necessary to ensure
37	37	that the money is spent in accordance with this section.
38	38	(f) Money received by an eligible organization under this
39	39	section may be spent only to provide for the material needs of
40	40	pregnant women who are considering placing their children for
41	41	adoption, including the provision of clothing, housing, prenatal
42	42	care, food, utilities, and transportation, to provide for the needs
43	43	of children [infants] who are awaiting placement with adoptive
44	44	parents, to provide training and advertising relating to adoption,
45	45	and to provide pregnancy testing or pre-adoption or postadoption
46	46	counseling, but may not be used to pay an administrative, legal, or
47	47	capital expense.
48	48	(g) In this section, "eligible organization" means:
49	49	(1) an organization in this state that:
50	50	(A) [(1)] is exempt from federal income taxation
51	51	under Section 501(a), Internal Revenue Code of 1986, by being
52	52	listed as an exempt charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3)
53	53	of that code;
54	54	(B) [(2)] provides counseling and material
55	55	assistance to pregnant women who are considering placing their
56	56	children for adoption or to prospective adoptive parents;
57	57	(C) [(3)] does not charge for services provided,
58	58	except for adoption-related costs or fees;
59	59	(D) [(4)] does not provide abortions or
60	60	abortion-related services or make referrals to abortion providers;
61	61	(E) [(5)] is not affiliated with an organization
62	62	that provides abortions or abortion-related services or makes
63	63	referrals to abortion providers; and
64	64	(F) [(6)] does not contract with an organization
65	65	that provides abortions or abortion-related services or makes
66	66	referrals to abortion providers;
67	67	(2) an adoption agency, as defined by Section 162.402,
68	68	Family Code; and
69	69	(3) an authorized agency, as defined by Section
70	70	162.402, Family Code.
71	71	SECTION 3. The heading to Section 402.037, Government Code,
72	72	is amended to read as follows:
73	73	Sec. 402.037. SUPPORT ADOPTION [CHOOSE LIFE] ADVISORY
74	74	COMMITTEE.
75	75	SECTION 4. Sections 402.037(a) and (b), Government Code,
76	76	are amended to read as follows:
77	77	(a) The attorney general shall appoint a seven-member
78	78	Support Adoption [Choose Life] advisory committee.
79	79	(b) The committee shall:
80	80	(1) meet at least twice a year or as called by the
81	81	attorney general;
82	82	(2) assist the attorney general in developing rules
83	83	under Section 402.036(e); and
84	84	(3) review and make recommendations to the attorney
85	85	general on applications submitted to the attorney general for
86	86	grants funded with money credited to the Support Adoption [Choose
87	87	Life] account.
88	88	SECTION 5. Section 504.662, Transportation Code, is amended
89	89	to read as follows:
90	90	Sec. 504.662. SUPPORT ADOPTION [CHOOSE LIFE] LICENSE
91	91	PLATES. (a) The department shall issue specially designed
92	92	license plates that include the words "Support Adoption [Choose
93	93	Life]." The department shall design the license plates in
94	94	consultation with the attorney general.
95	95	(b) After deduction of the department's administrative
96	96	costs, the department shall deposit the remainder of the fee for
97	97	issuance of license plates under this section in the state treasury
98	98	to the credit of the Support Adoption [Choose Life] account
99	99	established by Section 402.036, Government Code.
100	100	SECTION 6. Subchapter A, Chapter 521, Transportation Code,
101	101	is amended by adding Section 521.015 to read as follows:
102	102	Sec. 521.015. VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTION TO SUPPORT
103	103	ADOPTION. (a) When a person applies for an original or renewal
104	104	driver's license or personal identification certificate under this
105	105	chapter, the person may contribute any amount to the Support
106	106	Adoption account established by Section 402.036, Government Code,
107	107	to support adoption.
108	108	(b) The department shall:
109	109	(1) include space on the first page of each
110	110	application for an original or renewal driver's license or personal
111	111	identification certificate that allows a person applying for an
112	112	original or renewal driver's license or personal identification
113	113	certificate to indicate the amount that the person is voluntarily
114	114	contributing to the account; and
115	115	(2) provide an opportunity for the person to
116	116	contribute to the account during the application process for an
117	117	original or renewal driver's license or personal identification
118	118	certificate on the department's Internet website.
119	119	(c) The department shall send any contribution made under
120	120	this section to the comptroller for deposit to the credit of the
121	121	Support Adoption account established by Section 402.036,
122	122	Government Code, not later than the 14th day of each month. Before
123	123	sending the money to the comptroller, the department may deduct
124	124	money equal to the amount of reasonable expenses for administering
125	125	this section.
126	126	SECTION 7. Not later than December 31, 2023, the Department
127	127	of Public Safety shall provide an opportunity for a person who
128	128	applies for an original or renewal driver's license or personal
129	129	identification certificate to make a voluntary contribution to
130	130	support adoption, as required by Section 521.015, Transportation
131	131	Code, as added by this Act.
132	132	SECTION 8. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
133	133	______________________________ ______________________________
134	134	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
135	135	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 2376 passed the Senate on
136	136	May 15, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 28, Nays 3; and that the
137	137	Senate concurred in House amendment on May 26, 2023, by the
138	138	following vote: Yeas 28, Nays 3.
139	139	______________________________
140	140	Secretary of the Senate
141	141	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 2376 passed the House, with
142	142	amendment, on May 24, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 142,
143	143	Nays 0, one present not voting.
144	144	______________________________
145	145	Chief Clerk of the House
146	146	Approved:
147	147	______________________________
148	148	Date
149	149	______________________________
150	150	Governor