BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center H.B. 3437
Transportation & Homeland Security
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
The Hidalgo County Metropolitan Planning Organization, along with other metropolitan areas across Texas, has experienced significant growth without a matching increase in funding to increase the capacity of the transportation system. The Texas Metropolitan Mobility Plan has identified an additional need of $1.4 billion to address all of the mobility needs for Hidalgo County. This need does not include the immediate need to repay bonds authorized by Proposition 14. Additional funds may be needed to accomplish the stated goals of the plan.
H.B. 3437 authorizes an additional $10 vehicle registration fee for residents of Hidalgo County.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Department of Transportation in SECTION 1 (Section 502.1725, Transportation Code) of this bill.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter D, Chapter 502, Transportation Code, by adding Section 502.1725, as follows:
Sec. 502.1725. OPTIONAL COUNTY FEE FOR TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS. (a) Provides that this section applies only to a county that borders the United Mexican States, that has a population greater than 300,000, and in which the largest municipality has a population of less than 300,000 (applicable county).
(b) Authorizes the commissioners court of a county by order to impose an additional fee, not to exceed $10, for registering a vehicle in the county.
(c) Authorizes a vehicle authorized to be registered under this chapter (Registration of Vehicles) without payment of a registration fee to be registered in a county imposing a fee under this section without payment of the additional fee.
(d) Authorizes the additional fee to take effect only on January 1 of a year. Requires the applicable county to adopt the order and to notify the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) not later than September 1 of the year preceding the year in which the fee takes effect.
(e) Authorizes the removal of an additional fee imposed under this section. Authorizes the removal to take effect only on January 1 of a year. Authorizes the applicable county to remove the fee only by rescinding the order imposing the additional fee and notifying TxDOT of the removal not later than September 1 of the year preceding the year in which the removal takes effect.
(f) Requires the county assessor-collector of the applicable county imposing the additional fee to collect that fee for a vehicle when other fees imposed under this chapter are collected. Requires the county to send the fee revenue to the regional mobility authority (authority) of the county to fund long-term transportation projects in the county, including metropolitan planning organization priority-listed projects.
(g) Requires TxDOT to collect the additional fee on a vehicle owned by a resident of a county imposing a fee under this section and required to be registered directly with TxDOT under this chapter. Requires TxDOT to send all fees collected for a county under this subsection to the authority of the county to fund long-term transportation projects in the county, including metropolitan planning organization priority-listed projects.
(h) Requires TxDOT to adopt rules and develop forms necessary to administer registration by mail for a vehicle being registered in a county imposing a fee under this section.
SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2007.