TX: Save the Texas "Animal Friendly" License Plate Fund! Misuse of License Plate Spay/Neuter Fund
TX House Subcommittee on Health and Human Services wants to allocate all the money generated by the “Animal Friendly” license plate for its intended purpose: helping end pet overpopulation.
Of the $30 fee for the Texas “Animal Friendly” license plate, $22 goes to the Texas Department of State Health Services to make grants to eligible organizations that sterilize animals owned by the general public at minimal or no cost. However, due to the state's budget crisis, the Texas Legislature is recommending that over one million dollars of the estimated $1,600,000 presently in the Animal Friendly License Plate Account be held indefinitely in order to help balance the budget.
The Animal Friendly License Plate Account is a "designated account"—it cannot be used for anything except spay/neuter programs, so what the legislature plans to do is to hold most of the money and release only $450,000 for spaying and neutering.
Texans who purchased Animal Friendly license plates did not buy them to help balance the budget, but instead to help programs that finance low- and no-cost spay/neuter surgeries.
The amount of appropriations from the Animal Friendly License Plate Account is now being considered by a subcommittee of the House Committee on Appropriations (the subcommittee on Article II, Health and Human Services).
Governor Rick Perry, (rick.perry@governor.state.tx.us)
Members of the House Committee on Appropriations are John Zerwas, john.zerwas@house.state.tx.us), (warren.chisum@house.state.tx.us), Warren Chisum, (warren.chisum@house.state.tx.us) , Dawna Dukes, (dawna.dukes@house.state.tx.us), Craig Eiland, (cmailto:craig.eiland@house.state.tx.us), Susan King, (susan.king@house.state.tx.us), Charles Schwertner, (charles.schwertner@house.state.tx.us)
