Honorable Tommy Merritt, Chair, House Committee on Public Safety
FROM:
John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB3490 by Quintanilla (Relating to the administrative consequences of certain conduct committed by a holder of a motor vehicle inspection station certificate or an inspector certificate. ), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
The probable collection of monetary penalties as a result of implementing the bill cannot be determined due to the unavailability of reliable data or information related to the number of vehicle inspection stations that would face penalties in connection with the vehicle inspection program.
The bill would amend the Transportation Code to require that the Department of Public Safety (DPS) develop a penalty schedule for violations of the vehicle inspection program. The bill would allow for an administrative penalty not to exceed $1,000 for each act that constitutes grounds for imposition of the penalty, which may be imposed for each day the person, inspection station, or inspector is found to be in violation. The aggregate amount of the penalties may not exceed $10,000. The bill would take effect September 1, 2009.
DPS indicates that implementing the provisions of the bill could pose a fiscal and operational impact to the department, but this analysis assumes that the costs could be reasonably absorbed with current resources. As the department has not previously had the authority to assess monetary penalties in connection with the vehicle inspection program, reliable data does not exist from which revenue projections may be estimated.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.