LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
FISCAL NOTE, 78TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
April 14, 2003

TO:
Honorable Joe Driver, Chair, House Committee on Law Enforcement
 
FROM:
John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
HB3206 by King (Relating to the funding of traffic enforcement through the state highway fund and increased traffic fines and fees.), As Introduced



Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB3206, As Introduced: a positive impact of $554,000,160 through the biennium ending August 31, 2005.

The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.



Fiscal Year Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2004 $277,000,080
2005 $277,000,080
2006 $277,000,080
2007 $277,000,080
2008 $277,000,080




Fiscal Year Probable Revenue Gain/(Loss) from
GENERAL REVENUE FUND
1 		Probable Savings/(Cost) from
STATE HIGHWAY FUND
6
2004 $277,000,080 ($100,000,000)
2005 $277,000,080 ($100,000,000)
2006 $277,000,080 ($100,000,000)
2007 $277,000,080 ($100,000,000)
2008 $277,000,080 $0

Fiscal Analysis

The bill would amend the Transportation Code to require the Texas Transportation Commission (TTC) to make grants to counties and municipalities for local policing of public roads and to establish necessary rules to implement the provisions of the bill. The bill would prohibit the Legislature from appropriating more than $100 million per fiscal year from the State Highway Fund for the grants.  The bill would impose an additional $35 fine for violations of state highway laws; would amend the Code of Criminal Procedure to impose an additional $35 state administrative fee on certain offenses involving the operation of a motor vehicle; and would require revenues from the new fine and fee be remitted to the Comptroller.

 

This bill would take effect September 1, 2003, and the section requiring the TTC to grant funds for local policing of public roads would expire August 31, 2007.

Methodology

This analysis assumes that $100 million from the State Highway Fund would be granted to counties and municipalities each year through fiscal year 2007, in accordance with the bill.

 

Based on the amount of traffic citations issued in Texas in fiscal year 2002, as reported in the Annual Report of the Texas Judicial System, it is estimated that approximately 7,285,715 fines for violations of state highway laws and 628,573 fees for certain offenses involving the operation of a motor vehicle would be assessed and collected each year.  Accordingly, it is assumed that amounts of  $255,000,025 in fines and $22,000,055 in fees would be deposited to the credit of the General Revenue Fund each year.

Local Government Impact

Counties and municipalities would be able to obtain grants from the TTC for the purpose of policing public roads to insure traffic safety. After development of eligibility criteria and a distribution formula, TTC would distribute no more than $100 million to counties and municipalities each fiscal year.  The Texas Department of Transportation estimates the cost of hiring a new officer, including equipment and patrol car costs, to be $100,000 per officer and that a $100 million grant program for local policing of public roads would result in approximately 1,000 new police officers for counties and municipalities.



Source Agencies:
304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 601 Department of Transportation
LBB Staff:
JK, WP, SD, WK, RT, MW, KG