Texas Local Option Transportation Act

There will be a major press event in support of TLOTA on the south steps of the Texas Capitol in Austin at 1:00pm Friday. Please make a sincere effort to attend. Senator Carona has asked that we have a very strong showing at this event to demonstrate support of local option transportation funding. The CSHB 300 Conference Committee will be appointed tonight after 10:10pm. We must show them that there is widespread and deep support for TLOTA.

…Continue Reading

We had planned to have a TLOTA press conference at the Capitol Monday but had to postpone it due to slowness in preparation and transmittal of the committee report to the Calendars Committee. Until the Calendars Committee receives and considers the committee report and sets CSSB 855 on the Major State House Calendar, we can not set the date for the press conference. We will send an e-mail to all announcing the time and date of the press conference as soon as we can. Best guess at this point is that we will be able to so Tuesday and that the press event at the Capitol will be Thursday or Friday.

…Continue Reading

Unless reported favorably from House Transportation Monday, HB 9 & HJR 9 are dead. We expect that a house committee substitute of the senate bill (CSSB 855) will be voted out of the House Transportation Committee Tuesday, that it will include one revenue option only – a ten cent county tax on motor fuels – and that it will be applicable to all 25 MPOs in the state. It is expected to exclude the project selection provisions that are in the senate bill.

As a result of the action in the House Committee this week regarding the Texas Local Option Transportation Act (TLOTA, SB 855 and HB 9), the press conference scheduled for Thursday, May 7 in Austin has been cancelled. Rep. Joe Pickett, chair of the House Transportation Committee, is currently developing a proposal that would address the funding options currently in the bill.

Come to Austin to promote passage of TLOTA on Thursday, May 7 at 8:30 a.m at the Capitol. Local Government officials from across the state will join with business leaders and, together, call on the Texas Legislature to pass the Texas Local Option Transportation Act (TLOTA) SB 855 - HB 9. There will be a 9 a.m. press conference in the Lt. Governor’s Press Conference room outside the Senate Chamber on the second floor of the State Capitol. Contact House members and urge them to support the Texas Local Option Transportation Act (House Committee substitute to SB 855).

TLOTA needs your support

When: Thursday, May 7
Time: 9 a.m., please arrive at 8:30 a.m.
Where: Lt. Governor’s Press Conference Room, outside the Senate Chamber on the second floor of the State Capitol

The Local Option Transportation Act (HB 9 / CSSB 855) passed in the Senate Tuesday, April 14 and will be up for hearing in House Transportation Tuesday afternoon, April 21. Effectiveness of the bill is contingent upon passage of two constitutional amendments, one allowing use of county vehicle registration fee and county motor fuel tax revenues for rail and transit and another removing “policing” as a permissible use of such revenues whether county or state levied. SJR 52 (adding transit & rail) passed in the Senate Thursday, April 16 and SJR 9 (deleting policing) will be on the senate floor Monday or Tuesday.

SB 855 (Carona) & HB 9 (Truitt) – the Texas Local Option Transportation Act – add a new chapter to the Local Government Code to authorize Austin, DFW and San Antonio counties to impose transportation taxes and fees if approved by county voters, the revenue from which may be used to fund mobility services and projects including passenger rail, transit, roadway, and freight rail:

1. an indexed county tax on the sale of motor vehicle fuel, not to exceed $0.10 per gallon
2. a local option mobility improvement fee, not to exceed $60 per vehicle per year
3. a parking regulation and management fee, not to exceed $2 per day per vehicle
4. an annual motor vehicle emissions fee, not to exceed $15
5. a driver’s license renewal fee, with the county fee equivalent to the state fee
6. a new resident roadway impact fee, not to exceed $250.

SB 855 substituted, heard and left pending in Senate Transportation & Homeland Security March 18 & 25. Substitute reported favorably from committee April 2; 15 amendments adopted on the floor April 8; passed in the Senate April 14; received in the House April 15. HB 9 set for April 21 hearing in House Transportation.

The Local Option Transportation Act (HB 9 / CSSB 855), the region’s highest priority bill this session, was passed to engrossment in the Senate last Wednesday and will be up for third reading and final senate passage Tuesday. Fifteen amendments were attached to the bill during second reading. Counties in three regions were added to the bill–Corpus Christi, the Valley and Waco. A provision was added saying the bill does not take effect unless the Legislature and voters approve a constitutional amendment limiting diversions from the state highway fund. In effect, local option authority is now linked to passage of SJR 9 in addition to SJR 52. Assuming CSSB 855 passes the senate on third reading Tuesday, hearing in House Transportation will be on April 21 at the earliest or more likely on April 28. May 11 is the last day for bills to be reported from House committees.