Honorable Robert Nichols, Chair, Senate Committee on Transportation
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
SB1437 by Schwertner (Relating to payment for the use of a highway toll project.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend Chapter 228 of the Transportation Code to require the Texas Department of Transportation to provide electronic toll collection customers the option to authorize the automatic payment of tolls through withdrawal of funds from the customer's bank account. The bill would amend Chapter 372 of the Transportation Code to require a toll project entity (including TxDOT) to determine whether a there is an active electronic toll collection customer account that corresponds to a transponder issued to a vehicle before sending an invoice or notice of unpaid tolls to the registered owner of the vehicle. If the toll project entity discovers a sufficiently funded customer account, the entity must first satisfy the outstanding toll from the account at the standard electronic toll collection rate and may not collect any administrative fees or late fees. The bill would take effect on September 1, 2017.
Based on LBB's analysis of information provided by TxDOT, it is assumed any costs or duties associated with implementing the provisions of the bill could be absorbed within existing resources.
Local Government Impact
The North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) estimates a cost of $500,000 per year to implement the provisions of the bill.