SRC-PNG S.B. 713 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research CenterS.B. 713
76R6905 WP-DBy: Ogden
Finance
5/11/1999
Committee Report (Amended)


DIGEST 

The statutory appropriation for the county and road highway fund has not
changed for 40 years.  At that time, the fund received approximately five
percent of the revenues generated by the state's gasoline tax which was
dedicated to transportation.  Today, the existing appropriation of $7.3
million represents less than one-half of one percent of those revenues.
This bill increases the statutory appropriation to the county and road
district highway fund and adjusts the formula for their distribution. 

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.B. 713 increases the statutory appropriation to the county
and road district highway fund and adjusts the formula for their
distribution. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Sections 256.002(b) and (c), Transportation Code, to
require the appropriated money under Subsection (a) be allocated among the
counties, with one-half according to rural population, determined by the
ratio of the rural population of the county to the rural population of the
state, rather than one-fifth according to area, determined by the ratio of
the area of the county to the area of the state and two-fifths according to
rural population, determined by the ratio of the rural population of the
county to the rural population of the state, rather than one-fifth
according to area, and one-half according to lateral road mileage, rather
than two fifths.  Makes conforming changes. 

SECTION 2. Amends Section 256.003(a), Transportation Code, to authorize a
county to use money received under Section 256.002 only for funding
contracts for constructing and maintaining lateral roads, as provided by
Chapter 262, Local Government Code, among other uses. 

SECTION 3. Amends Section 153.503, Tax Code, to require the comptroller, by
a certain date, after making all deductions for refund purposes and for the
amounts allocated under Sections 153.502 and 153.5025, to allocate the net
remainder of the taxes collected under Subchapter B by certain percentages
for certain state funds until the remaining one-fourth of the tax is
required to be deposited to the credit of the county and road district
highway fund until a total of $25 million, rather than $7.3 million, has
been credited to the fund each fiscal year. 

SECTION 4. Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 5. Emergency clause.

SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE CHANGES

SECTION 3. 

Amends Section 153.503, Tax Code, to require the comptroller, by a certain
date, after making all deductions for refund purposes and for the amounts
allocated under Sections  153.502 and 153.5025, to allocate the net
remainder of the taxes collected under Subchapter B by certain percentages
for certain state funds until the remaining one-fourth of the tax is
required to be deposited to the credit of the county and road district
highway fund until a total of $25 million, rather than $50 million, has
been credited to the fund each fiscal year.