Honorable Drew Darby, Chair, House Committee on Energy Resources
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB3835 by Isaac (Relating to the use of certain alternative fuels by state agency motor vehicles.), As Introduced
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would prohibit a state agency from purchasing or leasing vehicles that uses ethanol, including ethanol/gasoline blends of 85 percent or greater.
By 2025 each state agency with a fleet of more than 15 motor vehicles would be required to have a fleet in which at least 50 percent of vehicles use compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, or electricity. Vehicles that use methanol or methanol/gasoline blends, ethanol or ethanol/gasoline blends, or biodiesel or biodiesel/diesel blends would be excluded from this requirement. The bill also would repeal the authority of the Comptroller of Public Accounts to lower the percentage of alternative fuel vehicles an agency is required to have in its fleet or waive these requirements altogether if the agency operates in an area without access to refueling stations or is unable to obtain equipment necessary to operate alternative fuel vehicles.
Under Government Code, Section 2158.0013, which is not modified by the bill, purchasing requirements related to alternative fuel vehicles do not apply if a state agency demonstrates that it will incur net costs by meeting the requirements. In light of this provision, for the purposes of this fiscal note, it is assumed that agencies who might otherwise incur a net cost implementing the provisions of the bill would not be required to do so. Therefore, no significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
Local Government Impact
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies:
304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 405 Department of Public Safety, 529 Health and Human Services Commission, 551 Department of Agriculture, 576 Texas A&M Forest Service, 582 Commission on Environmental Quality, 601 Department of Transportation, 696 Department of Criminal Justice, 710 Texas A&M University System Administrative and General Offices, 720 The University of Texas System Administration, 802 Parks and Wildlife Department, 808 Historical Commission