Bill
HB 2321
85(R) - 2017
House Environmental Regulation
Senate Natural Resources & Economic Development
House Environmental Regulation
Senate Natural Resources & Economic Development
County Government
Environment
Transportation & Infrastructure
Vote Recommendation
No
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Negative
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Neutral
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Neutral
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Negative
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Neutral
Author(s)
Chris Turner
Sponsor(s)
Kirk Watson
Bill Caption
Relating to low-income vehicle repair assistance, retrofit, and accelerated vehicle retirement programs and local initiative projects.
Fiscal Notes
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
Bill Analysis
Under current law, a portion of fees the state (TCEQ) collects from counties then remits funds back to the counties, to perform vehicle emissions-related inspections is distributed to low-income vehicle repair assistance, retrofit, and accelerated vehicle retirement programs established at the county level.
HB 2321 would increase the financial assistance amounts for vehicle repair and replacement, remove minimum amounts for such assistance, and allow participating counties to use as much as 50 percent of the funds from vehicle repair and maintenance to fund local initiative projects. In addition, this bill would remove oversight and review for local initiative projects and would allow the use of unspent funds for the replacement and retirement of local government fleet vehicles.
Vote Recommendation Notes
This bill infringes on the principles of limited government and the free market by expanding the distribution of state funding to local initiative projects and expanding the distribution of state funding to low-income vehicle assistance programs. Because this would reinforce preferential treatment by the state and increase an existing subsidy program which takes money confiscated from motorists for their vehicle inspections and redistributes it to others, we oppose HB 2321.
Organizations Supporting
Centerpoint Energy
Lone Star Chapter Sierra Club
Texas Conference of Urban Counties
Travis County Commissioners Court