BILL ANALYSIS
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Senate Research Center |
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AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
There is a concern that certain counties do not currently have an option to impose an additional vehicle registration fee as a means of raising revenue for the county road and bridge fund.
H.B. 1198 amends current law relating to authorizing an optional county fee for vehicle registration in certain counties.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles in SECTION 1 (Section 502.4011, Transportation Code) of this bill.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter H, Chapter 502, Transportation Code, by adding Section 502.4011, as follows:
Sec. 502.4011. OPTIONAL COUNTY FEE FOR ROAD AND BRIDGE FUND IN CERTAIN COUNTIES. (a) Provides that this section applies only to a county that is located on an international border, and has a population of more than 60,000 and less than 300,000.
(b) Authorizes the commissioners court of a county by order to impose an additional fee, not to exceed $10, for registering a vehicle in the county. Prohibits a fee from being imposed or increased under this section unless approved by a majority of the voters of the county voting at an election called by the county judge for that purpose.
(c) Authorizes a vehicle that is authorized to be registered under this chapter without payment of a registration fee to be registered in a county imposing a fee under this section without payment of the additional fee.
(d) Authorizes a fee imposed under this section to take effect and be removed in accordance with the requirements of Section 502.401 (Optional County Fee for Road and Bridge Fund), except that the fee is prohibited from being imposed or increased unless approved at an election held as provided by Subsection (b).
(e) Requires that the additional fee be collected for a vehicle when other fees imposed under this chapter are collected. Requires that the fee revenue collected be sent to the county treasurer to be credited to the county road and bridge fund.
(f) Authorizes a fee imposed under this section to be collected in addition to a fee collected under Section 502.401.
(g) Requires the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to adopt rules necessary to administer registration for a vehicle being registered in a county imposing a fee under this section.
SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2013.