| TO: | Honorable Mike Krusee, Chair, House Committee on Transportation |
| FROM: | John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB1996 by Gutierrez (Relating to the issuance of share the road license plates.), As Introduced |
The bill would amend the Transportation Code to require the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT ) to issue specially designed “Share the Road” license plates for passenger cars and light trucks. The bill would require the plates to be designed in consultation with the Texas Bicycle Coalition Education Fund and have certain features. The bill would also require applicants to submit a $35 annual fee in addition to other registration fees and would require $8 to be deposited to the credit of the State Highway Fund; $5 to be deposited to the credit of a newly created General Revenue dedicated account to be appropriated to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to promote motorist awareness of bicyclists in driver and traffic safety education; and $22 to be deposited to the credit of a newly created General Revenue dedicated account to be used by TEA for the purposes of promoting bicycle safety, education, and access. The bill would allow up to 25 percent of the collections from the $22 fees to be used to support the activities of the nonprofit organization in marketing and promoting the share the road concept and license plates. The bill would also allow TEA to establish mechanisms to ensure expenditure accountability; provide for lost, stolen or mutilated license plates to be replaced for $5; and require owners disposing of a vehicle during the registration year to return the plates to TxDOT.
No significant fiscal implication is anticipated due to the estimated number of license plate issuances.
Because the legislation would create dedicated revenue accounts in the General Revenue Fund, the accounts included in this bill would be subject to funds consolidation review by the current legislature.
| Source Agencies: | 601 Department of Transportation, 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 701 Central Education Agency
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| LBB Staff: | JK, RR, MW
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