| TO: | Honorable Mike Krusee, Chair, House Committee on Transportation |
| FROM: | John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB923 by Eiland (Relating to special license plates to aid the recovery, rehabilitation, and release of stranded marine mammals.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted |
The bill would amend the Transportation Code to require the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to issue special plates for eligible vehicles designed by TxDOT in consultation with the Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network. The bill would require the plates to be designed according to specifications in the bill and applicants to submit a $30 annual fee in addition to other registration fees. The bill would require $8 to be deposited to the credit of the State Highway Fund; $0.50 to be deposited to the credit of the general fund in the county treasury in which the applicant resides for administration costs; and $21.50 to be deposited to the credit of a newly created General Revenue dedicated account to be used by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for the purposes of supporting activities of Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network in the recovery, rehabilitation, and release of stranded marine mammals. The bill would require the Parks and Wildlife Department to establish necessary reporting mechanisms and would allow a vehicle owner to replace plates that were lost, stolen, or mutilated by paying TxDOT the fee prescribed in current law.
No significant fiscal implication is anticipated due to the estimated number of license plate issuances. It is also assumed that duties and responsibilities associated with implementing the provisions of the bill could be accomplished by utilizing existing resources based on the analysis provided by TxDOT.
Because the legislation would create a dedicated account in the General Revenue Fund, the account included in this bill would be subject to funds consolidation review by the current legislature.
| Source Agencies: | 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 601 Department of Transportation, 802 Parks and Wildlife Department
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| LBB Staff: | JK, RR, MW
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