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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to state fiscal matters regarding business and economic |
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development. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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ARTICLE 1. REDUCTION OF EXPENDITURES AND IMPOSITION OF CHARGES |
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GENERALLY |
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SECTION 1.01. This article applies to any state agency that |
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receives an appropriation under Article VII of the General |
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Appropriations Act. |
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SECTION 1.02. Notwithstanding any other statute of this |
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state, each state agency to which this article applies is |
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authorized to reduce or recover expenditures by: |
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(1) consolidating any reports or publications the |
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agency is required to make and filing or delivering any of those |
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reports or publications exclusively by electronic means; |
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(2) extending the effective period of any license, |
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permit, or registration the agency grants or administers; |
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(3) entering into a contract with another governmental |
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entity or with a private vendor to carry out any of the agency's |
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duties; |
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(4) adopting additional eligibility requirements for |
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persons who receive benefits under any law the agency administers |
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to ensure that those benefits are received by the most deserving |
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persons consistent with the purposes for which the benefits are |
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provided; |
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(5) providing that any communication between the |
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agency and another person and any document required to be delivered |
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to or by the agency, including any application, notice, billing |
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statement, receipt, or certificate, may be made or delivered by |
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e-mail or through the Internet; and |
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(6) adopting and collecting fees or charges to cover |
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any costs the agency incurs in performing its lawful functions. |
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ARTICLE 2. FISCAL MATTERS REGARDING TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS AND |
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ACTIVITIES |
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SECTION 2.01. Section 201.601, Transportation Code, is |
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amended by adding Subsection (g) to read as follows: |
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(g) The plan must include a component that evaluates future |
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federal funding opportunities for all modes of transportation and |
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identifies actions necessary to maximize the total amount of |
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federal funds received in the future for transportation |
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improvements in this state. |
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SECTION 2.02. Subchapter H, Chapter 201, Transportation |
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Code, is amended by adding Section 201.623 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 201.623. COOPERATION WITH LOCAL PLANNING ENTITIES TO |
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MAXIMIZE FEDERAL FUNDING FOR PROJECTS. The department shall work |
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and plan with local transportation planning entities to maximize |
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the amount of federal funding awarded for projects in this state by |
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identifying and pursuing projects that are eligible for federal |
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grant programs, including the scenic byways program. |
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ARTICLE 3. FISCAL MATTERS REGARDING PERMIT FEES |
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SECTION 3.01. Subchapter A, Chapter 623, Transportation |
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Code, is amended by adding Section 623.002 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 623.004. EVALUATION OF PERMIT FEES. (a) The |
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department shall evaluate highway use in this state by oversize or |
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overweight vehicles, calculate the cost of damage to highways in |
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this state caused by those vehicles, and determine whether: |
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(1) the fees charged for permits issued under this |
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chapter are adequate to offset the costs of damage to highways |
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caused by those vehicles and recommend any fee adjustments for the |
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permits to reflect the costs of damage to highways caused by those |
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vehicles; and |
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(2) vehicles currently exempt from permit |
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requirements under this chapter should be required to obtain a |
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permit to operate on roads or highways in this state. |
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(b) Not later than October 1 of each even-numbered year, the |
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department shall report its findings to: |
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(1) the Legislative Budget Board; and |
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(2) the governor. |
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SECTION 3.02. Section 623.077, Transportation Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 623.077. HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE FEE. (a) An applicant |
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for a permit under this subchapter, other than a permit under |
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Section 623.071(c)(3), must also pay a highway maintenance fee in |
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an amount determined according to vehicle weight and distance |
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traveled. [the following table:
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[Vehicle Weight in Pounds
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Fee
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(b) The department shall adopt rules to implement this |
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section and establish a schedule of rates, based on miles traveled, |
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for all vehicle weight categories that provides for an increase in |
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the rates according to the weight of a vehicle. |
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(c) The department shall send each fee collected under |
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Subsection (a) to the comptroller, who shall deposit: |
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(1) 90 percent of the fee to the credit of the state |
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highway fund; and |
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(2) 10 percent of the fee to the credit of the Texas |
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Department of Motor Vehicles fund. |
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SECTION 3.03. (a) The Texas Department of Transportation |
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shall adopt rules implementing Section 623.077, Transportation |
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Code, as amended by this article, not later than January 1, 2018. |
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(b) Section 623.077(a), Transportation Code, as amended by |
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this article, applies only to an application for a permit submitted |
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under Subchapter D, Chapter 623, Transportation Code, to the Texas |
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Department of Transportation on or after January 1, 2018. An |
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application for a permit submitted before January 1, 2018, is |
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governed by the law in effect on the date the application was |
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submitted, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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ARTICLE 4. ARTICLE VII EMPLOYEES |
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SECTION 4.01. An employee of an agency appropriated funds |
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under Article VII of the General Appropriations Act is not entitled |
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to an amount from the state for expenses, per diem, travel, or |
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salary that exceeds the amount authorized for those purposes by the |
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General Appropriations Act. |
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SECTION 2.02. An employee of an agency appropriated funds |
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under Article VII of the General Appropriations Act is not entitled |
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to an amount from the state for a salary, a salary supplement, |
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office expenses or reimbursement of office expenses, or travel that |
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exceeds the amount authorized for those purposes by the General |
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Appropriations Act. |
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Article 5. EFFECTIVE DATE |
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SECTION 5.4.01. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
