Texas House bill by Rep. Cortez mandates specialty license plates for Central Catholic High School

Passed bill authored by State Rep. Philip Cortez seeks to require the Texas Department of Transportation to issue specialty license plates featuring Central Catholic High School’s logo and motto, aiming to generate revenue for the state while promoting the school. Cortez’s legislation won approval in both chambers, according to the Texas Legislature website.

In the House, 56 Democrats and 43 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while one Democrat and 33 Republicans opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 10 Democrats and 20 Republicans voted in favor, while one Democrat voted against it.

Philip Cortez introduced the bill in the Texas House on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, ahead of the official start of the 89th regular legislative session on Jan. 14, 2025.

Cortez graduated from Palo Alto Community College in 2000 with an AA and again in 2002 from the University of Texas with a BA.

Cortez, a Democrat, was elected to the Texas State House in 2017 to represent the state’s 117th House district, replacing previous state representative Rick Galindo.

According to the Texas Legislature, the bill’s official text was summarized as follows: ‘Relating to the issuance of Central Catholic High School specialty license plates’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill mandates the Texas Department of Transportation to issue specialty license plates featuring the words “With Loyal Hearts” and the logo of Central Catholic High School on the left side. The department will design the plates in collaboration with a representative of Central Catholic High School in San Antonio. After covering administrative costs, the fees from plate issuance will be credited to the state’s general revenue fund. The act is set to take effect on Sept. 1, 2025.

The bill received its final legislative approval on Monday, May 19, and was filed without the Governor’s signature on Friday, June 20.

Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.