85R11852 AAF-D     By: Wilson H.B. No. 3589       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to specialty license plates to honor certain Purple Heart   recipients.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  The heading to Section 372.053, Transportation   Code, is amended to read as follows:          Sec. 372.053.  [VETERAN] DISCOUNT PROGRAM FOR CERTAIN   VETERANS AND PURPLE HEART RECIPIENTS.          SECTION 2.  Section 372.053(a), Transportation Code, is   amended to read as follows:          (a)  A toll project entity may establish a discount program   for electronic toll collection customers.  The program must   include free or discounted use of the entity's toll project by an   electronic toll collection customer whose account relates to a   vehicle registered  under Section 504.202, [or] 504.315(f) or (g),   or 504.5115.          SECTION 3.  Subchapter F, Chapter 504, Transportation Code,   is amended by adding Section 504.5115 to read as follows:          Sec. 504.5115.  CERTAIN PURPLE HEART RECIPIENTS. (a) The   department shall issue specialty license plates for recipients of a   Purple Heart awarded by the Department of Public Safety or another   law enforcement agency in this state.          (b)  The fee for issuance of one set of the license plates is   $3.          (c)  A person issued specialty license plates under this   section shall be issued one set of the license plates without   payment of the registration fee required under Chapter 502.          SECTION 4.  The heading to Section 681.008, Transportation   Code, is amended to read as follows:          Sec. 681.008.  PARKING PRIVILEGES: CERTAIN VETERANS AND   [MILITARY] AWARD RECIPIENTS.          SECTION 5.  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, 504.308,   504.310, 504.315, 504.316, [or] 504.319, or 504.5115 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), 504.308, 504.310, 504.315, 504.316, [or]   504.319, or 504.5115;                (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 6.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.