| TO: | Honorable Mike Krusee, Chair, House Committee on Transportation |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB1718 by McReynolds (Relating to motor vehicle inspection fee refunds for vehicles used by volunteer fire departments.), As Introduced |
The bill would amend the Transportation Code to allow fee refunds for fees paid for motor vehicles used for direct volunteer fire department business. A person interested in receiving a refund would apply to the Comptroller of Public Accounts (CPA) for the refund. The bill would require the CPA to adopt rules to implement the provision. The changes made under the provision of the bill would apply only to an inspection fee paid on or after the effective date of the bill, and any inspection fee paid before the effective date of the bill would be governed by the law in effect at the time the inspection fee was paid.
The full cost of an inspection to a consumer for a one-year inspection is $12.50 for the safety portion, plus an additional emissions inspection fee if the purchaser is located in a federally designated nonattainment area or an affected county. Emission inspections add an additional $14.00 to $27.00 to the cost of an inspection borne by a customer. This bill would allow a refund only of the portion of the fee paid to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). DPS sells inspection certificates to inspection station operators for $5.50, of which $3.50 is deposited to the Texas Mobility Fund and $2.00 to the Clean Air Fund. The bill does not indicate a fund from which to refund the fee. The eligible number of fire trucks and support vehicles that would qualify under this bill, as well as the number of individuals who might seek a refund, cannot be determined; however DPS does not anticipate the fiscal impact of the bill to be significant.
The bill would take effect September 1, 2007.
| Source Agencies: | 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 405 Department of Public Safety
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, KJG, GG, LG, LM
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