Honorable Terry Canales, Chair, House Committee on Transportation
FROM:
John McGeady, Assistant Director Sarah Keyton, Assistant Director Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB688 by Guillen (Relating to the display of a license plate in the front windshield of a motor vehicle.), As Introduced
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend Section 504.010 of the Transportation Code to require that rules adopted by the board of the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) regarding the placement of license plates must authorize a motor vehicle to display a front license plate in the interior of the vehicle's front windshield.
Based on the information provided by DMV, it is assumed any costs associated with implementing the provisions of the bill could be absorbed within the agency's existing resources.
Based on information provided by local toll project entities, this analysis assumes that placement of a front license plate in the interior of a motor vehicle's front windshield may impair the effectiveness of video or other technology used by state entities as a method of collecting motor vehicle-based user fees, such as toll road charges. Any loss of revenue to the state that may result from this impairment is not anticipated to be significant.
Local Government Impact
According to the Cameron County, Central Texas, and Northeast Texas Regional Mobility Authorities, the bill would negatively impact the ability to collect tolls. The Central Texas RMA estimates a negative impact to its revenue collections of $1.6 million per year if it did not have the ability to capture the image of a vehicle's front license plate.