HBA-RBT H.B. 2156 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2156
By: Keffer
Ways & Means
4/28/1999
Committee Report (Amended)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The statutory appropriation for the county and road district highway fund
has not changed for 40 years.  Forty years ago the fund received
approximately 5 percent of the revenues generated by the state's gasoline
tax which are dedicated to transportation.  Today, the existing
appropriation of $7.3 million represents less than one-half of one percent
of those revenues.  State assistance for county roads has proportionately
declined over the years, road usage has not.  County roads are
deteriorating faster than county resources are able to maintain them.  H.B.
2156 increases the statutory appropriation to the county and road district
fund and adjusts the formula for their distribution. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Sections 256.002(b) and (c), Transportation Code, to
allocate one-half of the money from the county and road district highway
fund according to rural population, and one-half according to lateral road
mileage, rather than one-fifth according to area, two-fifths according to
rural population, and two-fifths according to lateral road mileage.  Makes
a conforming change. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 256.003(a), Transportation Code, to include
funding contracts for constructing and maintaining lateral roads among the
items for which the county and road district highway fund may be used, as
provided by Chapter 262 (Purchasing and Contracting Authority of Counties),
Local Government Code. 

SECTION 3.  Amends Section 153.503, Tax Code, to increase to $50 million,
from $7,300,000, the annual ceiling on deposits that will be placed in the
county and road district highway fund by the comptroller each month. 

SECTION 4.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 5.  Emergency clause.

EXPLANATION OF AMENDMENTS

Committee Amendment No.  1.

Amends Section 153.503, Tax Code, in SECTION 3 to increase to $25 million,
rather than increase to $50 million, the annual ceiling on deposits that
will be placed in the county and road district highway fund by the
comptroller each month.