Honorable Joseph Pickett, Chair, House Committee on Environmental Regulation
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB2321 by Turner (relating to low-income vehicle repair assistance, retrofit, and accelerated vehicle retirement programs and local initiative projects.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend Texas Health and Safety Code, Ch. 382, regarding the administration of the Low-Income Vehicle Repair Assistance, Retrofit, and Accelerated Vehicle Retirement Programs (LIRAP) and the Local Initiatives Projects (LIP) by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). The bill would change financial assistance amounts for the LIRAP vehicle repair and vehicle replacement assistance, and would remove TCEQ's authority to set a minimum amount for LIRAP vehicle repair assistance. The bill would allow participating counties to use up to 50 percent of the funds collected through vehicle emissions inspection and maintenance programs to fund county LIP programs; currently, LIRAP and LIP funding amounts are set by the General Appropriations Act. The bill would remove TCEQ oversight and prior review of LIP program eligibility and costs, and would remove the requirement that a county must provide a match for state funds received for LIPs. The bill would allow a participating county to use LIP funds unspent in the first fiscal year of the allocation to fund the replacement and retirement of local government fleet vehicles.
TCEQ estimates that the provisions of this bill could be implemented with existing resources.
Local Government Impact
The bill would allow counties to use up to 50 percent of the funds allocated for LIRAP programs to fund county LIP programs, and would remove the requirement that a county must provide a match to the state funding received for each LIP.
Source Agencies:
304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 405 Department of Public Safety, 582 Commission on Environmental Quality