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.