BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

                                                                                                                                    C.S.H.B. 3227

                                                                                                                                      By: Swinford

                                                                                                                                       State Affairs

                                                                                                        Committee Report (Substituted)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

House Bill 3125, passed during the 76th Legislature, directed the Office of Vehicle Fleet Management, under the guidance of the State Council on Competitive Government (Council), to adopt a statewide fleet management plan to improve the administration and operation of the state's vehicle fleet.  However, many of the plan components that address the size and use of the state's fleet, agency reporting requirements, and approved fleet management procedures are burdensome to institutions of higher education due to the nature of campus based vehicles.

 

H.B. 3227 alleviates some of the burdens of these requirements, while still allowing the appropriate information required by law to be reported and available for evaluation.

 

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

 

Amends current law to require that reports be submitted quarterly instead of monthly and makes other changes related to the deadline for those reports.

 

Adds Section 2171.105 to Subchapter C of the Government Code.  This section states that institutions of higher education are not subject to the minimum use criteria provided by the management plan.  The management plan will only apply to vehicles purchased by an institution of higher education with appropriated funds.  This section authorizes a fleet manager appointed by the head of an institution of higher education to request a waiver from the limit on the number of vehicles subject to the plan that the institution may own.  The section also defines "institution of higher education" and "plan" for purposes of the section.

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

Immediately upon passage or September 1, 2005

 

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

 

C.S.H.B. 3227 modifies the original bill by changing the vehicle fleet management reporting requirements from monthly, with reports due not earlier than the 45th day or later than the 60th day after the end of the month covered by the report, to quarterly, with reports due not earlier than the 45th day or later than the 60th day after the end of the quarter.

 

Additionally, C.S.H.B. 3227 contains other non-substantive changes that were incorporated by the Texas Legislative Council.