86R1947 GRM-D
 
  By: Ashby H.B. No. 1068
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to strategies for railroad relocation and improvement,
  including a franchise tax credit for certain railroad
  reconstruction or replacement expenditures.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Chapter 171, Tax Code, is amended by adding
  Subchapter U-1 to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER U-1. TAX CREDIT FOR QUALIFIED RAILROAD RECONSTRUCTION OR
  REPLACEMENT EXPENDITURES
         Sec. 171.9231.  DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
               (1)  "Class II railroad" and "class III railroad" have
  the meanings assigned by the federal Surface Transportation Board.
               (2)  "Qualified railroad expenditure" means an amount
  spent by a taxable entity that is a class II railroad or class III
  railroad:
                     (A)  to reconstruct or replace railroad
  infrastructure that was owned or leased by the taxable entity on
  January 1, 2019, including a track, a roadbed, a bridge, an
  industrial lead, or another track-related structure; or
                     (B)  for new construction of an industrial lead,
  switch, spur, or siding or extension of existing siding.
         Sec. 171.9232.  ENTITLEMENT TO CREDIT. A taxable entity is
  entitled to a credit in the amount and under the conditions provided
  by this subchapter against the tax imposed under this chapter.
         Sec. 171.9233.  QUALIFICATION. A taxable entity qualifies
  for a credit under this subchapter if the taxable entity makes a
  qualified railroad expenditure.
         Sec. 171.9234.  AMOUNT; LIMITATIONS. (a) Subject to
  Subsection (b), the amount of the credit for a report is equal to
  the lesser of:
               (1)  50 percent of the taxable entity's qualified
  railroad expenditures during the accounting period on which the
  report is based; or
               (2)  the product of $3,500 and the number of miles of
  railroad track owned or leased in this state by the taxable entity
  on the last day of the accounting period on which the report is
  based.
         (b)  The total credit claimed for a report, including the
  amount of any carryforward under Section 171.9235, may not exceed
  the amount of franchise tax due for the report after all other
  applicable tax credits.
         Sec. 171.9235.  CARRYFORWARD. (a) If a taxable entity is
  eligible for a credit that exceeds the limitation under Section
  171.9234(b), the taxable entity may carry the unused credit forward
  for not more than five consecutive reports.
         (b)  A carryforward is considered the remaining portion of a
  credit that cannot be claimed in the current year because of the
  limitation under Section 171.9234(b). A carryforward is added to
  the next year's credit in determining whether the limitation is met
  for that year. A credit carryforward from a previous report is
  considered to be used before the current year credit.
         Sec. 171.9236.  APPLICATION FOR CREDIT. A taxable entity
  must apply for a credit under this subchapter on or with the report
  for the period for which the credit is claimed.
         Sec. 171.9237.  SALE OR ASSIGNMENT OF CREDIT. (a) A taxable
  entity that makes qualified railroad expenditures may sell or
  assign all or part of the credit that may be claimed for those
  expenditures to one or more taxable entities, and any taxable
  entity to which all or part of the credit is sold or assigned may
  sell or assign all or part of the credit to another taxable entity.  
  There is no limit on the total number of transactions for the sale
  or assignment of all or part of the total credit authorized under
  this subchapter.
         (b)  A taxable entity that sells or assigns a credit under
  this section and the taxable entity to which the credit is sold or
  assigned shall jointly submit written notice of the sale or
  assignment to the comptroller not later than the 30th day after the
  date of the sale or assignment. The notice must include:
               (1)  the date on which the credit was originally
  established;
               (2)  the date of the sale or assignment;
               (3)  the amount of the credit sold or assigned and the
  remaining period during which it may be used;
               (4)  the names, addresses, and federal tax
  identification numbers of the taxable entity that sold or assigned
  the credit or part of the credit and the taxable entity to which the
  credit or part of the credit was sold or assigned; and
               (5)  the amount of the credit owned by the selling or
  assigning taxable entity before the sale or assignment, and the
  amount the selling or assigning taxable entity retained, if any,
  after the sale or assignment.
         (c)  The sale or assignment of a credit in accordance with
  this section does not extend the period for which a credit may be
  carried forward.
         Sec. 171.9238.  RULES. (a)  Except as provided by Subsection
  (b), the comptroller shall adopt rules necessary to implement this
  subchapter.
         (b)  The Texas Department of Transportation shall adopt
  rules to verify qualified railroad expenditures and allow taxable
  entities to obtain preapproval that a proposed expenditure will
  qualify as a qualified railroad expenditure.
         SECTION 2.  The Texas Department of Transportation shall
  complete development of the strategic plan described in Section
  201.977, Transportation Code, not later than December 31, 2020.
         SECTION 3.  Subchapter U-1, Chapter 171, Tax Code, as added
  by this Act, applies only to a report originally due under Chapter
  171, Tax Code, on or after January 1, 2020.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect January 1, 2020.