BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1666

By: Martinez

Transportation

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

It is noted with concern that the recent severe weather in the Rio Grande Valley has highlighted the region's underdeveloped drainage and road infrastructure and that the safety and mobility of residents in the area are threatened by such conditions. There are additional concerns that struggles to finance and develop local infrastructure have forced more residents to increasingly rely on public transit services for access to health care, work, and school. H.B. 1666 seeks to address this issue by providing for the imposition of an additional vehicle registration fee for the purpose of funding public transportation services and road or drainage projects.

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 Texas Department of Motor Vehicles in SECTION 1 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 1666 amends the Transportation Code to authorize the commissioners court of a county that borders the United Mexican States and the Gulf of Mexico or of a county that borders such a county to impose by order an additional $2 vehicle registration fee if approved by a majority of the qualified voters of the county voting at an election and to authorize the commissioners court to order and hold the election for that purpose. The bill establishes that a vehicle exempt from registration fees may be registered under the bill's provisions without payment of the additional fee.

H.B. 1666 establishes that a fee imposed under the bill's provisions may take effect and be removed in accordance with requirements relating to optional county fees for a county road and bridge fund and requires the additional fee to be collected when other registration fees are collected. The bill requires the county to send 50 percent of the fee revenue collected to a regional planning commission, council of governments, or similar regional planning agency in which the county is located and to send 50 percent of the fee revenue collected to municipalities in the county, distributed in proportion to their populations.

H.B. 1666 restricts use of the fee revenue by such a commission, council, or agency to funding public transportation services. The bill restricts use of the fee revenue by such a municipality to funding road or drainage projects. The bill requires the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to adopt rules necessary to administer registration for a vehicle being registered in a county imposing an additional registration fee under the bill's provisions.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2019.