AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) has estimated that there are 5,537 electric vehicles and 194,516 hybrid vehicles registered in Texas. Electric, hybrid, and natural gas vehicles generally use less fuel than traditionally powered vehicles. The state currently lacks the necessary procedures to keep an up-to-date count of electric, hybrid, and natural gas vehicles registered in Texas.
Accurate data regarding these alternatively fueled vehicles is critical to planning and estimating funding levels for long-term infrastructure needs. Fuel tax revenues are a primary funding source for building and maintaining Texas roadways. Forecasting fuel tax revenue is made more difficult without accurate information on alternatively fueled vehicles.
H.B. 735 addresses this shortcoming. Although TxDMV and county tax assessor-collectors collect certain information about vehicles registered in Texas through their vehicle identification numbers (VIN), engine-type information is not presently collected. H.B. 735 changes that, and establishes an annual DMV report to count the number of hybrid, electric, and natural gas-powered vehicles registered in Texas.
H.B. 735 amends current law relating to the collection of information regarding the number of alternatively fueled vehicles registered in this state.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles in SECTION 1 (Section 502.004, Transportation Code) of this bill.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter A, Chapter 502, Transportation Code, by adding Section 502.004, as follows:
Sec. 502.004. INFORMATION ON ALTERNATIVELY FUELED VEHICLES. (a) Defines "alternatively fueled vehicle" in this section.
(b) Requires the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) by rule to establish a program to collect information about the number of alternatively fueled vehicles registered in this state.
(c) Requires TxDMV to submit an annual report to the legislature that includes the information collected under this section. Requires that the report, at a minimum, show the number of vehicles registered in this state that use:
(1) electric plug-in drives;
(2) hybrid electric drives;
(3) compressed natural gas drives; and
(4) liquefied natural gas drives.
SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2016.