BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

 

C.S.S.B. 1605

By: Zaffirini

Transportation

Committee Report (Substituted)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

Currently, certain counties can impose an additional vehicle registration fee, the revenue of which may be used for transportation projects. Interested parties seek to have this authority granted to different counties, such as Webb County. C.S.S.B. 1605 seeks to address this issue.

 

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.S.B. 1605 amends the Transportation Code to remove the maximum 300,000 population requirement for the largest municipality in a county that borders the United Mexican States and has a population of more than 300,000 for the commissioners court of the county to be authorized to impose an additional vehicle registration fee not to exceed $10. The bill clarifies that the revenue collected from the additional fee is required to be sent to a regional mobility authority located in the county to fund long-term transportation projects in the county.

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

September 1, 2013.

 

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

 

While C.S.S.B. 1605 may differ from the engrossed version in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following comparison is organized and highlighted in a manner that indicates the substantial differences between the engrossed and committee substitute versions of the bill.

 

SENATE ENGROSSED

HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE

SECTION 1.  Subsection (a), Section 502.402, Transportation Code, is amended to read as follows:

(a)  This section applies only to a county:

 

(1)  that borders the United Mexican States;

 

(2)  that has a population of more than 250,000 [300,000]; and

 

(3)  in which the largest municipality has a population of less than 400,000 [300,000].

 

SECTION 1.  Sections 502.402(a) and (e), Transportation Code, are amended to read as follows:

(a)  This section applies only to a county that:

(1)  [that] borders the United Mexican States; and

(2)  [that] has a population of more than 300,000[; and

 

[(3)  in which the largest municipality has a population of less than 300,000].

 

(e)  The additional fee shall be collected for a vehicle when other fees imposed under this chapter are collected.  The fee revenue collected shall be sent to a [the] regional mobility authority located in [of] the county to fund long-term transportation projects in the county.

 

No equivalent provision.

 

SECTION 2.  Section 502.402, Transportation Code, as amended by this Act, applies only to the fee for a registration period beginning on or after the effective date of this Act.  A fee for a registration period beginning before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect when the registration period began, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.

 

SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.

 

SECTION 3. Same as engrossed version.