BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 392

By: McClendon

Transportation

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Counties across the state are finding funds allocated to local transportation projects insufficient to meet the increasing needs of their communities. Interested parties assert that several counties have been authorized to impose an additional vehicle registration fee that can be used for certain transportation projects in that county and that the authorization to impose such a fee in additional counties could provide the communities with much needed revenue to meet their transportation funding requirements. H.B. 392 seeks to assist counties in meeting their local transportation funding needs.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the board of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles in SECTION 1 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 392 amends the Transportation Code to authorize the commissioners court of a county by order to impose a fee, not to exceed $10, for registering a vehicle in the county that is in addition to any other vehicle registration fees and may be used only to fund a nontolled transportation project that relieves congestion, improves safety, or addresses air quality. The bill authorizes a vehicle that may be registered without payment of a registration fee to be registered in a county imposing the additional fee without payment of the additional fee. The bill authorizes the additional fee to take effect and be removed in the same manner as an optional vehicle registration fee imposed by a county for the benefit of the county road and bridge fund. The bill requires the county assessor-collector of a county imposing the additional fee to collect the additional fee for a vehicle when other vehicle registration fees are collected. The bill requires the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) to collect the additional fee on a vehicle that is owned by a resident of a county imposing the fee and that must be registered directly with TxDMV. The bill requires TxDMV to send all such fees collected for a county to the county treasurer for use in funding an eligible nontolled transportation project. The bill requires the TxDMV board to adopt rules and develop forms necessary to administer registration by mail for a vehicle being registered in a county imposing the additional fee.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2015.