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No significant fiscal implication to the State or units of local government is anticipated.
HB 2208 would give the tax-assessor-collectors access to additional data “in order to assess the risk of potential title fraud (Herrero, Committee Report HB 2208, 84th Legislature).” The Tax-Assessor-Collector duties are not to stop title fraud, this duty is assigned to the Department of Public Safety who already have access to their own database.
The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) has also already implemented a program that has significantly reduced title fraud. To bring historical context to the improvement in preventing title fraud President George H.W. Bush on October 25, 1992, signed the Anti-Car Theft Act that created a national motor vehicle title information system to stop title fraud. The TxDMV has access to this database specifically to reduce title fraud and has been working with DPS to assist in investigation related to title fraud. The tax-assessor-collectors’ access to this database is unwarranted for title fraud and we oppose this bill as an expansion of government and, thus in opposition to our limited government principle.