SRC-SEW S.B. 1520 77(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 1520
77R2425 MTB-DBy: Lucio
Finance
4/8/2001
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Currently, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has begun the
process to upgrade its 10year-old automated Registration and Titling System
(RTS).  Legislation enacted during the 76th Legislature added $1 to the
registration fee for each vehicle in certain counties in order to fund RTS
enhancements.  The revenue from this fee generated $14.4 million in fiscal
2000 and a total of about $30 million will be collected by the end of
fiscal 2001. The total collected by the end of fiscal 2003, about $30
million, is expected to be enough to cover the cost of upgrading RTS.
TxDOT will need funding to make on-going enhancements to RTS, but the
current annual income should not be necessary.  As proposed, S.B. 1520
reduces the fee for enhancing RTS from $1 to $0.25 per vehicle beginning in
fiscal 2004. 

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 Section 502.1705(a), Transportation Code, to require a
fee of 25 cents, rather than $1, to be collected in addition to other
registration fees for a license plate or set of license plates or other
device used as the registration insignia. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 2004.  
  Makes application of this Act prospective.