BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3473

By: Perez

Transportation

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

It has been suggested that the portion of fee revenue distributed to local governments from intermodal shipping container permits is inadequate, as these governments bear a heavy financial burden with regard to infrastructure, local street repair, and community safety. C.S.H.B. 3473 seeks to address local government concerns regarding this distribution by providing for an increase to the amount of fee revenue received by local governments from these permits.

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 this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3473 amends the Transportation Code to revise the distribution and deposit of the $6,000 fee for each permit authorizing the movement of certain vehicles transporting an intermodal shipping container as follows:

· decreases from 50 percent to 32 percent the amount deposited to the credit of the state highway fund;

· increases from 30 percent to 33 percent the amount equally divided among and distributed to each county designated in the respective permit application;

· increases from 16 percent to 33 percent the amount equally divided among and distributed to each municipality designated in the respective permit application; and

· decreases from 4 percent to 2 percent the amount deposited to the credit of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles fund.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 3473 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

The substitute changes the decreased percentage of the fee amount deposited to the credit of the state highway fund from 45 percent to 32 percent and changes the increased percentage of the amount equally divided among and distributed to each designated municipality from 20 percent to 33 percent.