HBA-MSH, MSH H.B. 1911 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1911
By: Capelo
Transportation
3/18/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Under current law, a county commissioners court is authorized to levy a
motor vehicle registration fee of up to $1.50 for child safety programs,
including school crossing guards.  A commissioners court is authorized to
deduct 10 percent of the revenue from the fee for administrative costs and
to disburse a portion of the revenue to unincorporated areas of the county
in proportion to the percentage of the county population who live in those
areas.    Currently, municipalities pay a large share of the cost for
school crossing guards.  Increased resources for school crossing guards
will improve child safety and control traffic near schools.  House Bill
1911 increases to $3 the maximum child safety motor vehicle registration
fee that a county commissioners court is authorized to levy on the request
of a certain municipality. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 1911 amends the Transportation Code to increase from $1.50 to
$3, the maximum child safety fee that a county commissioners court may
impose for registering a vehicle in a county.  The bill provides that after
a request of one or more municipalities in the county that have an
aggregate population that exceeds two-thirds of the population of the
county, a county commissioners court is required to impose a child safety
fee within 45 days.  The bill provides that such a fee may be removed only
on written request of one or more of the municipalities. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2001.