HBA-MSH, MSH H.B. 1911 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1911 By: Capelo Transportation 3/18/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current law, a county commissioners court is authorized to levy a motor vehicle registration fee of up to $1.50 for child safety programs, including school crossing guards. A commissioners court is authorized to deduct 10 percent of the revenue from the fee for administrative costs and to disburse a portion of the revenue to unincorporated areas of the county in proportion to the percentage of the county population who live in those areas. Currently, municipalities pay a large share of the cost for school crossing guards. Increased resources for school crossing guards will improve child safety and control traffic near schools. House Bill 1911 increases to $3 the maximum child safety motor vehicle registration fee that a county commissioners court is authorized to levy on the request of a certain municipality. 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. ANALYSIS House Bill 1911 amends the Transportation Code to increase from $1.50 to $3, the maximum child safety fee that a county commissioners court may impose for registering a vehicle in a county. The bill provides that after a request of one or more municipalities in the county that have an aggregate population that exceeds two-thirds of the population of the county, a county commissioners court is required to impose a child safety fee within 45 days. The bill provides that such a fee may be removed only on written request of one or more of the municipalities. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2001.