According to the Legislative Budget Board (LBB), HB 791 would have no significant fiscal implications for the State. The bill directs the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) to issue a specialty license plate honoring Central Catholic High School, but the administrative functions related to designing, producing, and distributing the plate are expected to be absorbed within existing resources. This indicates that the workload associated with this bill is not substantial enough to require new funding, staff, or operational changes for the agency.

Additionally, any revenue generated from the sale of these specialty plates, after the department deducts its administrative costs, would be deposited into the General Revenue Fund. However, the LBB notes that the fiscal impact of this revenue stream would be insignificant, suggesting that while there may be modest earnings from plate fees, the number of plates sold is expected to be too low to materially affect the state budget.

The bill also carries no significant fiscal implications for local governments, as the licensing and revenue components fall solely within the purview of the state. Overall, H.B. 791 is a narrowly tailored measure with limited financial impact, intended more to honor a community institution than to generate revenue or require substantive governmental resources.

HB 791 proposes the creation of a specialty license plate honoring Central Catholic High School (CCHS) in San Antonio. The plate design would feature the school’s logo on the left and the words “With Loyal Hearts” along the bottom. The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) would work in consultation with a representative from the school to finalize the design. Revenue collected from plate fees—after covering administrative costs—would be deposited into the state’s General Revenue Fund.

The bill is narrow in scope and primarily symbolic, intended to allow alumni, students, and supporters of CCHS to display school pride through a personalized license plate. While the initiative does not establish any new regulatory authority, nor does it mandate participation or impose costs on the general public, it does utilize state administrative resources for a school-specific plate, which some may view as a limited use of state capacity.

From a fiscal perspective, the Legislative Budget Board anticipates no significant impact on the state or local governments. Administrative costs are expected to be absorbed by TxDMV using existing resources, and any additional revenue is considered insignificant.

Texas Policy Research remains NEUTRAL on HB 791.

• Individual Liberty: The bill modestly supports individual liberty by allowing Texans, specifically alumni, students, and supporters of Central Catholic High School, to express personal affiliation and pride through a specialty license plate. The plate is entirely optional, and its availability expands the range of personal expression available through state-issued vehicle registration options. It neither compels nor restricts behavior, thus respecting individual choice.
• Personal Responsibility: The bill does not significantly affect personal responsibility, as it involves a voluntary purchase of a specialty item. Buyers are responsible for the associated fees and must comply with standard vehicle registration requirements. There are no public subsidies or mandates involved, so the principle of self-reliance remains intact.
• Free Enterprise: The impact on free enterprise is neutral. While the bill enables a state-administered product to support a private institution's branding, it does not create a monopoly, restrict market competition, or interfere with private businesses. The plate’s sale is processed through the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles under a standard framework used for many other cause- or group-specific specialty plates.
• Private Property Rights: The bill does not implicate private property rights. It does not affect land ownership, impose new regulations on personal property, or constrain how individuals may use or display their vehicles. The license plate is an optional form of government-issued identification that individuals can choose to purchase and display.
• Limited Government: While the bill does not expand regulatory authority or create a new government program, it does utilize state administrative capacity to support the branding of a single private school. Some may view this as a minor departure from strict limited government principles, as it involves state facilitation of a private institution's identity. However, this is done within an existing framework used for many other organizational and alumni-based specialty plates, mitigating broader concerns of government overreach.