Honorable Joseph Pickett, Chair, House Committee on Defense & Veterans' Affairs
FROM:
John S O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB559 by Sheffield (Relating to Bronze Star Medal specialty license plates.), As Introduced
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend the Transportation Code to require the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to issue specialty license plates for recipients of the Bronze Star Medal. The fee for issuance of the plates would be $3. The bill would amend the Transportation Code to include electronic toll collection customers with vehicles registered with the new Bronze Star plates as one of a category of customers currently eligible to receive free or discounted use of the toll facilities of a toll project entity that has established a discount program for electronic toll collection customers. The bill would amend the Transportation Code to include vehicles registered with the new Bronze Star plates to the list of registered vehicles currently exempt from payment of parking fees collected through parking meters charged by a governmental authority other than a branch of the federal government, when being operated by or for the transportation of persons who registered the vehicle.
Under current law, an eligible person would be authorized to apply for of one set of the new specialty plates without payment of the regular vehicle registration fee. Based on the analysis of DMV, it is assumed implementation of the bill would not result in a significant impact to vehicle registration fee revenue and any additional costs or duties could be absorbed within the agency’s existing resources.
The Texas Department of Transportation states that a veterans discount program, authorized under current law, has not been established on the state toll road system. Based on the analysis of TxDOT, it is assumed that the provisions of the bill relating to electronic toll collection customers with vehicles registered with new Bronze Star plates being added to the list of customers currently eligible to receive free or discounted use of the toll facilities of a toll project entity that has established a discount program for electronic toll collection customers would not result in a fiscal impact to the State.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies:
601 Department of Transportation, 608 Department of Motor Vehicles