HBA-EDN S.B. 896 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 896
By: Shapiro
Ways & Means
4/30/2001
Engrossed



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, the state contributes $7.3 million from the state highway fund
to the County and Road District Highway Fund.  This amount was established
in 1954 and has not been modified since its inception.  Senate Bill 896
creates a new allocation formula for distribution of state funds.   

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

Senate Bill 896 amends the Local Government Code to require the comptroller
of public accounts (comptroller) on or before October 15 of each year to
distribute money appropriated for the special county road assistance
program (program) among the counties as follows: 

_two-fifths according to total population, determined by the ratio of the
total population of the county to the total population of the state; 

_one fifth according to population, determined by the ration of the
population in unincorporated areas of the county to the population in all
unincorporated areas of the state; 

_one-fifth according to lineal county road miles, determined by the ratio
of lineal mileage of county roads in the county to the lineal mileage of
county roads in the state, according to the most recent county road
inventory compiled by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT); and  

_one-fifth according to paved and concrete county road miles, determined by
the ratio of miles of lanes of paved and concrete county roads in the
county to the miles of lanes of paved and concrete county roads in the
state, according to the most recent county road inventory compiled by
TxDOT. 

S.B. 896 authorizes money appropriated to the program to be used only for
the support of the county road system, including uses specified by law for
revenues from the county and road district highway fund.   

S.B. 896 amends the Transportation Code to prohibit the comptroller from
depositing tax receipts or other money to the credit of the county and road
district highway fund, except as provided by law for the allocation of
gasoline tax receipts. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.