TWT H.B. 3063 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS TRANSPORTATION H.B. 3063 By: Clark 4-25-97 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND Elderly citizens who reside on real property owned by the United States Corps of Engineers occasionally use golf carts to travel to and from area marinas, elderly centers, and one another's homes. Because they are not driving their golf carts to and from a golf course, they are required to register their carts as if they were automobiles, costing them over $63.00 per year. PURPOSE This bill will provide that, if someone living on United States Corps of Engineers property is required by that agency to register their golf carts, the fee shall be $10. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 502.284, Transportation Code, as follows. Adds Subsection (b) to provide that, if the owner of a golf cart resides on real property owned or controlled by the U.S. Corps of Engineers and is required to register the golf cart, the fee shall be $10. This subsection applies only to an owner of a golf cart who resides in a county that borders another state and has a population of more than 95,000 but less than 100,000. Adds Subsection (c) to clarify that Subsection (b) does not authorize a golf cart to be driven on a public road where it is otherwise prohibited by law. SECTION 2. Emergency clause. Effective upon passage. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE SECTION 1. The original in Sec. 502.284 (b) stated that for registration purposes, a golf cart should be considered like a motorcycle. The substitute deletes this provision. The registration fee in the original was $15 (the same as for motorcycles), but the substitute set the fee at $10. Subsection (c) of the substitute is new and was not in the original.