| TO: | Honorable Ray Allen, Chair, House Committee on County Affairs |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Deputy Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB1203 by Hegar (Relating to the establishment of a tow truck rotation list in certain counties; providing a penalty.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted |
The bill would authorize the sheriff's office in a county with a population of 300,000 or more that is adjacent to a county with a population of 2.3 million or more to establish a list of towing companies to perform nonconsent tows of motor vehicles initiated by a peace officer investigating a traffic accident or incident. The bill provides the procedures that would be required to follow and would authorize the sheriff's office to assess a towing company an administrative fee. The bill would also establish as a misdemeanor offense punishable by a fine of between $1 and $200, violations of the required policies related to the towing program.
The bill would take effect September 1, 2005.
According to the 2000 federal decennial census, the only county that has a population of 2.3 million or more is Harris County (population 3.4 million). The only county adjacent to Harris County that has a population of 300,000 or more is Fort Bend County (population 354,452).
Because the bill would not have statewide impact on units of local government of the same type or class, no comment from this office is required by the rules of the House/Senate as to its probable fiscal implication on units of local government.
| Source Agencies: |
| LBB Staff: | JOB, DLBa
|