HBA-KMH H.B. 2004 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2004
By: Pickett
Transportation
3/29/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) does not have the
authority to lease additional registration and titling system workstations
to counties.  These workstations are allocated by TxDOT based on the number
of transactions a county handles in a month.  Once a county exceeds a
certain number of transactions it is allocated another workstation.   H.B.
2004 authorizes TxDOT to lease additional workstations to counties for an
amount equal to the cost to TxDOT to make them available. 

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 Subchapter A, Chapter 520, Transportation Code, by
adding Section 520.002, as follows: 

Sec. 520.002.  LEASE OF COMPUTER EQUIPMENT.  (a) Authorizes the Texas
Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to enter into an agreement with that
county under which TxDOT leases equipment to the county for the use of the
tax assessor-collector in operating the automated registration and title
system in that county on request of the tax assessor-collector. 

(b) Authorizes a county to install equipment leased under this section at
offices of the county or of an agent of the county. 

(c) Provides that equipment leased under this section remains the property
of TxDOT and must be used primarily for the automated registration and
title system. 

(d) Requires TxDOT to charge the county an amount not less than the amount
of the cost to TxDOT to provide the equipment and any related services
under the lease.  Requires all money collected under the lease to be
deposited to the credit of the state highway fund. 

SECTION 2.  Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.