SRC-SEW H.B. 893 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center H.B. 893 By: Hinojosa (Harris) State Affairs 5/6/2001 Engrossed DIGEST AND PURPOSE In 1999, the legislature created the tertiary care account to help reimburse hospitals for some of the $65 million spent on free trauma care for indigent residents in 1997. The tertiary care account may only reimburse hospitals for services delivered to out-of-county residents living below the poverty level that participate in the specified trauma network. Originally the tertiary care account was funded by unclaimed prize money from the Texas Lottery, which averages about $16 million per year. However, the need for funds is not fully met. H.B. 893 creates an additional fee for motor vehicle registration dedicated to the tertiary care account. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 502D, Transportation Code, by adding Section 502.1711, as follows: Sec. 502.1711. ADDITIONAL FEE FOR TRAUMA CENTERS. (a) Requires, in addition to other fees imposed under this chapter for a license plate or set of license plates or other device used as the registration insignia, a fee of $5 to be collected. (b) Requires the county assessor-collector, on the first Monday of each month, to send the fee collected under this section to the comptroller for deposit in the tertiary care account under Section 46.003, Health and Safety Code. (c) Authorizes the county assessor-collector to retain an amount equal to not more than 10 percent of each fee collected under Subsection (a). Requires the assessor-collector to deposit any amount retained under this subsection in the county treasury to the credit of the general fund and to petition the commissioners court for the amount necessary to administer this section. Authorizes the commissioners court to allocate money deposited in the county treasury under this subsection that is not allocated to the assessor-collector to administer this section for general purposes of the county. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2001.