Bill Text: TX HB1432 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to optional fees on registration of vehicles in certain counties to fund transportation projects; authorizing a fee.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-04-09 - Left pending in committee [HB1432 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-HB1432-Introduced.html
| By: Howard | H.B. No. 1432 | |
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| relating to optional fees on registration of vehicles in certain | ||
| counties to fund transportation projects; authorizing a fee. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Section 502.402(a), Transportation Code, as | ||
| amended by Chapters 1273 (H.B. 1198) and 1277 (H.B. 1573), Acts of | ||
| the 83rd Legislature, Regular Session, 2013, is reenacted to read | ||
| as follows: | ||
| (a) This section applies only to: | ||
| (1) a county that: | ||
| (A) borders the United Mexican States; and | ||
| (B) has a population of more than 250,000; and | ||
| (2) a county that has a population of more than 1.5 | ||
| million that is coterminous with a regional mobility authority. | ||
| SECTION 2. Subchapter H, Chapter 502, Transportation Code, | ||
| is amended by adding Section 502.406 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 502.406. OPTIONAL COUNTY FEE FOR PROJECTS OF REGIONAL | ||
| MOBILITY AUTHORITIES. (a) This section applies only to the most | ||
| populous county that is part of a regional mobility authority | ||
| created under Chapter 370 with at least two counties, at least one | ||
| of which has a population of more than one million. | ||
| (b) The commissioners court of a county by order may impose | ||
| an additional fee for a vehicle registered in the county. Except as | ||
| provided by Subsection (c), the fee may not exceed $10. | ||
| (c) The commissioners court of a county may increase the | ||
| additional fee to $20 adjusted annually to reflect the percentage | ||
| change during the preceding year in the construction cost index if | ||
| approved by a majority of the qualified voters of the county voting | ||
| on the issue at a referendum election, which the commissioners | ||
| court may order and hold for that purpose. The ballot language must | ||
| clearly state that the fee will increase annually in accordance | ||
| with the construction cost index. For purposes of this subsection, | ||
| the "construction cost index" means the most recent construction | ||
| cost index published by Engineering News-Record as a measure of | ||
| inflation or, if the construction cost index is not published, | ||
| another similar index chosen by the commissioners court. | ||
| (d) A vehicle that may be registered under this chapter | ||
| without payment of a registration fee may be registered under this | ||
| section without payment of the additional fee. | ||
| (e) A fee imposed under this section may take effect and be | ||
| removed in accordance with the requirements of Section 502.401. | ||
| (f) The additional fee shall be collected for a vehicle when | ||
| other fees imposed under this chapter are collected. The fee | ||
| revenue collected shall be sent to the regional mobility authority | ||
| in which the county is located to fund transportation projects that | ||
| are consistent with the purposes specified by Section 7-a, Article | ||
| VIII, Texas Constitution. Notwithstanding Section 370.251(i), | ||
| before a county may impose a fee under this section, a regional | ||
| mobility authority which is to receive fees from a county pursuant | ||
| to this section must enter into an agreement with the county that | ||
| identifies, or provides a process for identifying, transportation | ||
| projects which will be funded by fee revenue. The agreement must be | ||
| approved by the county commissioners court, the board of directors | ||
| of the regional mobility authority, and a majority of the board | ||
| members of the regional mobility authority who were appointed by | ||
| the county which adopted or approved the fee. | ||
| (g) Additional fees adopted by a county pursuant to this | ||
| section may only be used by the regional mobility authority for | ||
| projects located in the unincorporated and incorporated portions of | ||
| the county that adopted the fee, unless, in the agreement required | ||
| by Subsection (f), the county commissioners court and the regional | ||
| mobility authority make findings that: | ||
| (1) a project located wholly or partly within another | ||
| county will improve the safety and mobility of residents located | ||
| within the county that adopted the fee; and | ||
| (2) the development of the transportation project will | ||
| serve a public purpose. | ||
| (h) The department shall adopt rules necessary to | ||
| administer registration for a vehicle being registered in a county | ||
| imposing a fee under this section. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. | ||
