By: Swinford H.B. No. 3261
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to railroad safety inspection fees.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Article 6448a, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes, is
amended to read as follows:
Section 1. The Railroad Commission of Texas is hereby
authorized to perform any act and issue any rules and orders as
permitted by the Federal Railroad Safety Act of 1970 (45 U.S.C.A.
431 et seq.).
Section 2. (a) The Railroad Commission of Texas by rule
shall adopt reasonable fees to be assessed annually against
railroads operating within the state.
(b) The commission by rule shall establish the method by
which the fees will be calculated and assessed.
(c) The total amount of fees estimated to be collected by
rules adopted by the commission under this section may not exceed
the amount estimated by the commission to be necessary to recover
the costs of administering the commission's rail safety program.
(d) In adopting a fee structure, the commission may consider
the gross ton miles for railroad operations within the State of
Texas for each railroad operating in the state to provide for the
equitable allocation among railroads of the cost of administering
the commission's rail safety program.
(e) A fee collected under this section shall be deposited to
the credit of the general revenue fund to be used for the rail
safety program.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect on September 1, 2003.