BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 677

By: Jetton

Transportation

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Public school buses are not exempt from paying toll road fees. Some districts currently spend tens of thousands of dollars on tolls each year. Utilizing routes to avoid tolls would require students to spend more time in traffic on less efficient routes. C.S.H.B. 677 seeks to exempt public school buses from paying registration fees that may be issued by a toll project entity.

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. 677 amends the Transportation Code to exempt a public school bus from payment of a highway toll. The bill expressly does not affect the ability of a toll project entity to adopt policies or rules regarding the use of a toll project or managed lane of the entity, including policies or rules prohibiting the use of the project or lane by vehicles unable to maintain minimum designated travel speeds.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.

COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 677 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

The substitute includes provisions that were not in the introduced establishing that the bill expressly does not affect the ability of a toll project entity to adopt policies or rules regarding the use of a toll project or managed lane of the entity, including policies or rules prohibiting the use of the project or lane by vehicles unable to maintain minimum designated travel speeds.