H.B. 3313 78(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


H.B. 3313
By: Capelo
County Affairs
Committee Report (Unamended)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 
Over the past 10 years, counties have had budgetary pressures (inmate
population, juvenile crime) that have redirected resources away from basic
infrastructure such as roads and bridges. Many counties have seen their
roads and bridges deteriorate without adequate resources to keep up with
property maintenance. Under section 502.172(a) of the Transportation Code
the County Commissioners Court may impose by order an additional fee, not
to exceed $10, for registering a vehicle in the county. Counties have used
this money to build county roads, expand rights of ways, and have used it
when available, to maintain roads and bridges. The authorized maximum
amount of the additional fee has not been increased since 1990. The
additional fee collected for registering a vehicle in Nueces County
currently accounts for approximately 50 percent of Nueces County's annual
road and bridge fund revenues. Increasing the additional fee by $10 would
generate an additional $2.2 million in road and bridge revenues for Nueces
County. This new revenue could be used to leverage approximately $15
million through road bonds or certificates of obligations to be used to
construct and rebuild county roads and bridges. As suggested, the
leveraged funds would provide a much needed boost to the  county road and
bridges systems which have seen neglect over the years due to other
budgetary pressures. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any
additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or
institution. 

ANALYSIS
Section 1. Amends Sec. 502.172(a), Transportation Code, as follows:
 
 (a)allows the commissioners court to impose an additional fee not to
exceed $20 for registering a vehicle in the county. 

EFFECTIVE DATE
The bill would become effective immediately, if adopted by the
constitutionally required two-thirds record vote in each house; otherwise,
it would become effective on September 1, 2003.