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Amend CSHB 300 (House committee printing) by adding the
following appropriately numbered ARTICLE to the bill and
renumbering subsequent ARTICLES of the bill accordingly:
ARTICLE ____. SPECIALTY LICENSE PLATES
SECTION ____.01. Subchapter G, Chapter 504, Transportation
Code, is amended by adding Section 504.659 to read as follows:
Sec. 504.659. CHOOSE LIFE LICENSE PLATES AND CHOOSE
ADOPTION LICENSE PLATES. (a) The department shall issue specially
designed license plates that include the words "Choose Life" and
"Choose Adoption." 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 and Choose Adoption account
established by Section 402.035, Government Code.
SECTION ____.02. Subchapter B, Chapter 402, Government
Code, is amended by adding Sections 402.035 and 402.036 to read as
follows:
Sec. 402.035. CHOOSE LIFE AND CHOOSE ADOPTION ACCOUNT.
(a) The Choose Life and Choose Adoption 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 504.659, Transportation Code; and
(2) gifts, grants, donations, and legislative
appropriations.
(b) The attorney general administers the Choose Life and
Choose Adoption 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 and Choose Adoption 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 preadoption 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) qualifies as a charitable organization under
Section 501(c)(3), Internal Revenue Code of 1986;
(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. 402.036. CHOOSE LIFE AND CHOOSE ADOPTION ADVISORY
COMMITTEE. (a) The attorney general shall appoint a seven-member
Choose Life and Choose Adoption 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 402.035(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 and Choose
Adoption 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.