BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 294
By: Hinojosa
Transportation & Homeland Security
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
H.B. 3437, 80th Legislature, Regular Session, 2007, authorized regional mobility authorities in Hidalgo and Cameron counties to collect up to $10 per vehicle registered in those counties for transportation projects. With state and federal transportation funds becoming more scarce, it has become crucial for local governments to have the authority to implement innovative financing techniques for short-term and long-term transportation projects.
As proposed, S.B. 294 removes the current statutory brackets and authorizes the commissioners court of a county to increase, from $10 to $15, the maximum collectible amount for the optional county fee for transportation projects. The bill also authorizes counties to collect an additional optional vehicle registration fee of up to $50 per vehicle to be used for long-term transportation projects.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Department of Transportation in SECTION 2 (Section 502.1725, Transportation Code) of this bill.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 502.172(a), Transportation Code, to increase the maximum amount the commissioners court of a county by order is authorized to impose as an additional fee for registering a vehicle in the county from $10 to $15.
SECTION 2. Amends Section 502.1725, Transportation Code, as follows:
Sec. 502.1725. OPTIONAL COUNTY FEE FOR TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS. (a) Deletes existing text of Subsection (a) that applies this section only to certain counties. Redesignates Subsection (b) as Subsection (a). Increases the amount the commissioners court of a county by order is authorized to impose as an additional fee for registering a vehicle in the county from $10 to $50.
(b) Redesignates Subsection (c) as Subsection (b).
(c) Redesignates Subsection (d) as Subsection (c).
(d) Redesignates Subsection (e) as Subsection (d).
(e) Redesignates Subsection (f) as Subsection (e). Requires the county to deposit, rather than send, the fee revenue in a special account in the county general fund. Provides that the money in the account is authorized to be used only to contract with:
(1) the regional mobility authority of the county to promote and maintain a public purpose of the county that involves funding long-term transportation projects in the county; or
(2) a transportation governmental entity designated under Subsection (i) to promote and maintain a public purpose of the county that involves funding long-term transportation projects in the county.
(f) Redesignates Subsection (g) as Subsection (f). Requires the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to send all fees collected for a county under this subsection to the county for deposit and use as provided by Subsection (e), rather than to the regional mobility authority of the county to fund long-term transportation projects in the county.
(g) Redesignates Subsection (h) as Subsection (g).
(h) Prohibits the total amount of fees imposed by a commissioners court of a county under this section and under Section 502.172 from exceeding $65.
(i) Requires TxDOT to designate the governmental entities that serve primarily a transportation function and with which counties may contract under Subsection (e).
SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2009.