BILL ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 3832 By: Curry Transportation Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The 75th Texas Legislature provided for the issuance of "Animal Friendly" license plates in 1997, which allowed Texans to purchase a specialty license plate and support community-based spay and neuter initiatives through fees for the license plate. The bill author has informed the committee that advocates of animal welfare and the animal-friendly license plate option have requested a greater variety of license plate designs from which to choose than the single design that is currently available and that the Department of State Health Services, the agency responsible for administering the animal friendly account that receives funds from the issuance of those specialty license plates, does not appear to have the statutory authority to engage with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) to allow for a greater variety of design options. C.S.H.B. 3832 seeks to address this issue and further support spay and neuter initiatives in Texas by requiring TxDMV to issue other specialty license plates that support spay and neuter programs. CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 3832 amends the Transportation Code to require the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) to issue specialty license plates to benefit spay and neuter programs in Texas in addition to TxDMV's existing requirement to issue specialty license plates including the words "Animal Friendly." The bill requires TxDMV to consult with the Texas Humane Legislation Network in fulfilling TxDMV's requirement to design the plates. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2025. COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE While C.S.H.B. 3832 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill. With respect to the issuance of animal friendly specialty license plates, the introduced removed the requirement that specialty license plates include the words "Animal Friendly," whereas the substitute retains that requirement but also requires TxDMV to issue other specialty plates to benefit spay and neuter programs in Texas.
BILL ANALYSIS
# BILL ANALYSIS
C.S.H.B. 3832
By: Curry
Transportation
Committee Report (Substituted)
C.S.H.B. 3832
By: Curry
Transportation
Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The 75th Texas Legislature provided for the issuance of "Animal Friendly" license plates in 1997, which allowed Texans to purchase a specialty license plate and support community-based spay and neuter initiatives through fees for the license plate. The bill author has informed the committee that advocates of animal welfare and the animal-friendly license plate option have requested a greater variety of license plate designs from which to choose than the single design that is currently available and that the Department of State Health Services, the agency responsible for administering the animal friendly account that receives funds from the issuance of those specialty license plates, does not appear to have the statutory authority to engage with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) to allow for a greater variety of design options. C.S.H.B. 3832 seeks to address this issue and further support spay and neuter initiatives in Texas by requiring TxDMV to issue other specialty license plates that support spay and neuter programs.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 3832 amends the Transportation Code to require the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) to issue specialty license plates to benefit spay and neuter programs in Texas in addition to TxDMV's existing requirement to issue specialty license plates including the words "Animal Friendly." The bill requires TxDMV to consult with the Texas Humane Legislation Network in fulfilling TxDMV's requirement to design the plates.
EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2025.
COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE While C.S.H.B. 3832 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill. With respect to the issuance of animal friendly specialty license plates, the introduced removed the requirement that specialty license plates include the words "Animal Friendly," whereas the substitute retains that requirement but also requires TxDMV to issue other specialty plates to benefit spay and neuter programs in Texas.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
The 75th Texas Legislature provided for the issuance of "Animal Friendly" license plates in 1997, which allowed Texans to purchase a specialty license plate and support community-based spay and neuter initiatives through fees for the license plate. The bill author has informed the committee that advocates of animal welfare and the animal-friendly license plate option have requested a greater variety of license plate designs from which to choose than the single design that is currently available and that the Department of State Health Services, the agency responsible for administering the animal friendly account that receives funds from the issuance of those specialty license plates, does not appear to have the statutory authority to engage with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) to allow for a greater variety of design options. C.S.H.B. 3832 seeks to address this issue and further support spay and neuter initiatives in Texas by requiring TxDMV to issue other specialty license plates that support spay and neuter programs.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
C.S.H.B. 3832 amends the Transportation Code to require the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) to issue specialty license plates to benefit spay and neuter programs in Texas in addition to TxDMV's existing requirement to issue specialty license plates including the words "Animal Friendly." The bill requires TxDMV to consult with the Texas Humane Legislation Network in fulfilling TxDMV's requirement to design the plates.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2025.
COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE
While C.S.H.B. 3832 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.
With respect to the issuance of animal friendly specialty license plates, the introduced removed the requirement that specialty license plates include the words "Animal Friendly," whereas the substitute retains that requirement but also requires TxDMV to issue other specialty plates to benefit spay and neuter programs in Texas.