LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE
74th Regular Session
March 28, 1995
TO: Honorable Warren Chisum, Chair IN RE: House Bill No. 3036
Committee on Environmental Regulation By: Chisum
House of Representatives
Austin, Texas
FROM: John Keel, Director
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on House Bill No.
3036 (Relating to the vehicle emissions inspection and
maintenance program.) this office has determined the following:
The bill would provide for a redesigned state-administered
vehicle emissions inspection and maintenance program. Vehicles
that are less than four years old in the state's four
nonattainment areas would only be required to go to test and
repair facilities that use lower technology equipment. Vehicles
that are older than four years would be required to go to test-
only facilities but could be retested (if they fail) at test and
repair facilities.
The bill would allow owners of vehicles that are less than four
years old to pay a $10 mitigation fee and waive the test.
Mitigation fees would be dedicated to a vehicle scrappage bill
authorized by the bill.
The bill would require the Texas Natural Resource Conservation
Commission (TNRCC) to operate a modified, partially decentralized
vehicle emissions inspection and maintenance program. Because the
number of facilities that would be authorized to perform testing
will significantly increase in a decentralized program, there
will be the need for additional staff and associated support
expenses for licensing, inspection and oversight, and
certification of repair technicians.
The costs to the Clean Air Fund to implement the provisions of
the bill are assumed to be offset by vehicle emissions fees
authorized by the bill. The costs of the vehicle scrappage
program authorized by the bill are not included in this analysis
but are assumed to be equivalent and offsetting.
County tax assessors will be required to collect vehicle emission
certificates or other verifications of compliance, waivers, and
mitigation fees and submit to the Comptroller. Tax assessors may
retain 50 cents from each instrument collected. Tax assessors in
affected counties must report annually regarding their activities
under the bill.
The probable fiscal implication of implementing the provisions of
the bill during each of the first five years following passage
is estimated as follows:
Fiscal Probable Cost to Probable Gain to Change in
Year Clean Air Fund 151 Clean Air Fund 151 Number of State
Employees from
FY 1995
1996 $3,066,511 $3,066,511 36.0
1997 2,823,511 2,823,511 36.0
1998 2,823,511 2,823,511 36.0
1999 2,823,511 2,823,511 36.0
2000 2,823,511 2,823,511 36.0
Similar annual fiscal implications would continue as long as the
provisions of the bill are in effect.
The fiscal implication to units of local government cannot be
determined.
Source: Natural Resource Conservation Commission
LBB Staff: JK, JB, DF