BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 2917

By: McClendon

Transportation

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The optional county road and bridge fee allows a county to assess and collect a fee not to exceed $10 for each vehicle registered in that county.  The fee is set by the commissioners court, added to the car registration fee for the particular county, and credited to that county's county road and bridge fund.  Interested parties contend that additional funding is needed in some counties to continue maintaining roads, but the maximum allowable fee has not been increased in over 20 years.

The purpose of C.S.H.B. 2917 is to provide certain counties with more revenue for maintaining roads by increasing the maximum allowable additional vehicle registration fee from $10 to $20.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 2917 amends the Transportation Code to provide an exception to the provision authorizing a commissioners court to impose by order an additional fee, not to exceed $10, for registering a vehicle, to authorize the commissioners court of a county that has a population of 1.7 million or more and in which more than 75 percent of the population lives in a single municipality to impose by order an additional fee, not to exceed $20, for registering a vehicle in the county.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2011.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 2917 differs from the original by retaining the $10 maximum additional vehicle registration fee and adding an exception applicable to a county with a population of 1.7 million or more and in which more than 75 percent of the population lives in a single municipality authorizing the commissioners court to impose a $20 maximum additional vehicle registration fee, whereas the original authorizes any county to impose a $20 maximum additional vehicle registration fee.