Bill Text: TX SB257 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to the issuance of "Choose Life" license plates and the creation of the Choose Life account in the general revenue fund.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 98-4)
Status: (Passed) 2011-05-17 - Effective on 9/1/11 [SB257 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-SB257-Enrolled.html
| S.B. No. 257 | ||
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| relating to the issuance of "Choose Life" license plates and the | ||
| creation of the Choose Life account in the general revenue fund. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter G, Chapter 504, Transportation Code, | ||
| is amended by adding Section 504.662 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 504.662. CHOOSE LIFE LICENSE PLATES. (a) The | ||
| department shall issue specially designed license plates that | ||
| include the words "Choose Life." The department shall design the | ||
| license plates in consultation with the attorney general. | ||
| (b) After deduction of the department's administrative | ||
| costs, the department shall deposit the remainder of the fee for | ||
| issuance of license plates under this section in the state treasury | ||
| to the credit of the Choose Life account established by Section | ||
| 402.036, Government Code. | ||
| SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 402, Government Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Sections 402.036 and 402.037 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 402.036. CHOOSE LIFE ACCOUNT. (a) The Choose Life | ||
| account is a separate account in the general revenue fund. The | ||
| account is composed of: | ||
| (1) money deposited to the credit of the account under | ||
| Section 504.662, Transportation Code; and | ||
| (2) gifts, grants, donations, and legislative | ||
| appropriations. | ||
| (b) The attorney general administers the Choose Life | ||
| account. The attorney general may spend money credited to the | ||
| account only to: | ||
| (1) make grants to an eligible organization; and | ||
| (2) defray the cost of administering the account. | ||
| (c) The attorney general may not discriminate against an | ||
| eligible organization because it is a religious or nonreligious | ||
| organization. | ||
| (d) The attorney general may accept gifts, donations, and | ||
| grants from any source for the benefit of the account. | ||
| (e) The attorney general by rule shall establish: | ||
| (1) guidelines for the expenditure of money credited | ||
| to the Choose Life account; and | ||
| (2) reporting and other mechanisms necessary to ensure | ||
| that the money is spent in accordance with this section. | ||
| (f) Money received by an eligible organization under this | ||
| section may be spent only to provide for the material needs of | ||
| pregnant women who are considering placing their children for | ||
| adoption, including the provision of clothing, housing, prenatal | ||
| care, food, utilities, and transportation, to provide for the needs | ||
| of infants who are awaiting placement with adoptive parents, to | ||
| provide training and advertising relating to adoption, and to | ||
| provide pregnancy testing or pre-adoption or postadoption | ||
| counseling, but may not be used to pay an administrative, legal, or | ||
| capital expense. | ||
| (g) In this section, "eligible organization" means an | ||
| organization in this state that: | ||
| (1) is exempt from federal income taxation under | ||
| Section 501(a), Internal Revenue Code of 1986, by being listed as an | ||
| exempt charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of that | ||
| code; | ||
| (2) provides counseling and material assistance to | ||
| pregnant women who are considering placing their children for | ||
| adoption; | ||
| (3) does not charge for services provided; | ||
| (4) does not provide abortions or abortion-related | ||
| services or make referrals to abortion providers; | ||
| (5) is not affiliated with an organization that | ||
| provides abortions or abortion-related services or makes referrals | ||
| to abortion providers; and | ||
| (6) does not contract with an organization that | ||
| provides abortions or abortion-related services or makes referrals | ||
| to abortion providers. | ||
| Sec. 402.037. CHOOSE LIFE ADVISORY COMMITTEE. (a) The | ||
| attorney general shall appoint a seven-member Choose Life advisory | ||
| committee. | ||
| (b) The committee shall: | ||
| (1) meet at least twice a year or as called by the | ||
| attorney general; | ||
| (2) assist the attorney general in developing rules | ||
| under Section 402.036(e); and | ||
| (3) review and make recommendations to the attorney | ||
| general on applications submitted to the attorney general for | ||
| grants funded with money credited to the Choose Life account. | ||
| (c) Members of the committee serve without compensation and | ||
| are not entitled to reimbursement for expenses. Each member serves | ||
| a term of four years, with the terms of three or four members | ||
| expiring on January 31 of each odd-numbered year. | ||
| (d) Chapter 2110, Government Code, does not apply to the | ||
| committee. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I hereby certify that S.B. No. 257 passed the Senate on | ||
| March 16, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 21, Nays 9. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| I hereby certify that S.B. No. 257 passed the House on | ||
| May 4, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 110, Nays 26, two | ||
| present not voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| Approved: | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
