Honorable Robert Nichols, Chair, Senate Committee on Transportation
FROM:
John McGeady, Assistant Director Sarah Keyton, Assistant Director Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
SB383 by Nelson (Relating to a highway toll exemption for public school buses.), As Introduced
The bill would have an indeterminate negative fiscal impact to the State.
The bill would amend the Transportation Code to exempt a school bus that is already exempt from registration fees from paying a toll for use of a toll project.
According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), the bond covenants on the Central Texas Turnpike System require waived toll fees to be repaid to the toll system. Due to these bond agreements, mandating exemptions to school buses could be an impairment of the bond agreements for the system. In addition, the agency has four comprehensive development agreement (CDA) concession toll projects in operation (portions of SH 130, two portions of North Tarrant Express, and managed lanes on I-635) and 1 CDA in construction (SH 288). For the CDA concessionaires to provide these expanded discounts to school buses, the agency could be required to reimburse the toll revenue to the concessionaires if the bill would result in a compensation claim from the developer for projects. A fiscal impact is indeterminate for these CDA projects.
Local Government Impact
According to the Texas Education Agency, the bill would have an indeterminate positive fiscal impact to school districts.
According to the Texas Association of Counties, the bill would have no significant fiscal impact on counties.
Source Agencies:
701 Texas Education Agency, 601 Department of Transportation