83(R) HB 3770 - Introduced version

TO:	Honorable Larry Phillips, Chair, House Committee on Transportation

FROM:	Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board

IN RE:	HB3770 by Coleman (Relating to the refusal to register motor vehicles by a county assessor-collector or the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles; authorizing a fee.), As Introduced

The bill would amend the Transportation Code to authorize a county assessor-collector or the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to refuse to register a motor vehicle if the assessor-collector or the DMV receives under a contract information from a municipality that the owner of the vehicle is past due in the payment of a fine from that municipality relating to the violation of a traffic law. The bill would authorize the municipality to charge a fee of $20 to reimburse the DMV or the county assessor-collector for its expenses for providing services under the contract.

The DMV reports that 35 municipalities have contracts with the department to flag vehicle registration records for outstanding warrants for unpaid traffic fines or unpaid civil penalties related to photographic traffic signal enforcement systems. Based on the information provided by the DMV, it is assumed the provisions of the bill would not result in a significant fiscal impact to the state.

There would be a revenue gain to a municipality that imposed an additional fee that would offset some of the costs to reimburse the DMV or the county assessor-collector for providing services under a contract. There would be a revenue loss to a county that refused to register a vehicle and collect a registration fee; however, some of the amounts would be offset by reimbursement for expenses incurred under contract. The amounts would vary depending on the number of persons who fail to timely pay a fine and the amounts incurred by DMV or the county tax assessor-collector.

LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 83RD LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION


April 16, 2013