LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              April 7, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Clyde Alexander, Chair, House Committee on
               Transportation
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB1911  by Capelo (Relating to a child safety fee in
               certain counties.), As Introduced
  
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*  No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.        *
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The bill would allow a county commissioners court to increase the
additional fee for registering a motor vehicle in the county to not more
than $3, with the additional monies to be deposited into the child
safety fund program. The bill would also allow a municipality in the
county with an aggregate population that exceeds two-thirds of the
population of the county to request imposition of this fee.  If the fee
is adopted, the county would be required to notify the Texas Department
of Transportation within 45 days of the date of the request. The fee
could be removed only if one or more municipalities in the county with
an aggregate population that exceeds two-thirds of the population of the
county request its removal in writing.
  
Local Government Impact
  
Current law allows the commissioners court to impose the additional fee
up to $1.50.  There is no provision that allows cities to request an
increase.

The Tax Assessor-Collector's Office in Harris County reported they
registered over 2.6 million motor vehicles in the most recent 12-month
period.  If the fee were to be increased from $1.50 to $3, Harris County
would gain additional revenue estimated at $3,916,317 per year, not
including other increases from population growth projections.

The Tax Assessor-Collector's Office in Nueces County indicated their
commissioners court imposed the order for the additional $1.50 motor
vehicle registration fee beginning in February 2001.  The county
estimates approximately 265,000 motor vehicle transactions each year
would increase their revenue by $397,500 if the rate were increased to
$3.

The Tax Assessor-Collectors with Brown, Orange and Galveston counties
reported no impact to their counties since the current additional
collection of $1.50 has never been ordered by their commissioner's
courts.

For those counties that impose the fee, there would be a positive impact.
The impact would vary by county population size and number of vehicles
registered.
  
  
Source Agencies:   601   Texas Department of Transportation, 304
                   Comptroller of Public Accounts
LBB Staff:         JK, JO, DB