LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                                   Austin, Texas
         
                                   FISCAL NOTE
                               75th Regular Session
         
                                  April 27, 1997
         
         
      TO: Honorable Kenneth Armbrister, Chair            IN RE:  House Bill No. 1532, As Engrossed
          Committee on State Affairs                              By: Woolley
          Senate
          Austin, Texas
         
         
         
         
         FROM:  John Keel, Director    
         
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on HB1532 ( Relating 
to refusing to register a vehicle for a person who owes a fine, 
fee, or tax to certain counties.) this office has detemined 
the following:
         
         Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by HB1532-As Engrossed
         
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
         

         
 
          
This bill would allow the Department of Transportation or a 
county to refuse to register motor vehicles if the owner of 
the vehicle owes the county money for a fine, fee, or tax that 
is past due.  The bill would also allow a county to contract 
with the department and notify the department of cases when 
the county has refused to register a vehicle.  The bill provides 
for a county to charge an additional fee for past due fines 
to reimburse the department for its expenses in providing services.

This 
bill could result in increased administrative expenses to the 
Department of Transportation.  However, since the bill provides 
for reimbursement to the department for expenses, no significant 
fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

Counties 
that chose to implement the provision of this bill would be 
expected to collect a significant portion of fines, fees, and 
taxes that currently go unpaid.  However, it is expected that 
in the initial years of implementation, counties would incur 
expenses associated with upgrading computer systems used to 
track and report past due accounts.     
          
   Source:            Agencies:   
                                         
                      LBB Staff:   JK ,JD ,TL