BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 4906

By: Perez, Mary Ann

Transportation

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

It was initially the intent of the legislature that fees collected from special permits for trucks hauling timber and for ready-mixed concrete trucks be shared equally between the state highway fund and the counties. However, the bill author has informed the committee that the fees have been swept by what is commonly referred to as the "funds consolidation bill." H.B. 4906 seeks to restore the previous intent of the legislature by reenacting certain provisions in Chapter 623, Transportation Code,  and rededicating fees from certain oversize or overweight vehicle 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

H.B. 4906 amends the Transportation Code to reenact provisions added by Chapter 1135 (H.B. 2741), Acts of the 83rd Legislature, Regular Session, 2013, that require a fee collected for a ready-mixed concrete truck permit or a fee collected for a permit issued for a vehicle or combination of vehicles used to transport unrefined timber, wood chips, or woody biomass or equipment used to load timber on a vehicle to be disbursed in the following manner:

· 50 percent of the amount collected to be deposited to the credit of the state highway fund; and

· 50 percent of the amount collected to be divided among applicable counties designated in the respective permit applications.

The bill establishes that money dedicated to the state highway fund by those provisions is rededicated notwithstanding Chapter 839 (H.B. 6), Acts of the 83rd Legislature, Regular Session, 2013, which abolished dedications or rededications of revenue collected by a state agency for a particular purpose by an Act of the 83rd Legislature, Regular Session, 2013, that became law.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2025.