HBA-JLV H.B. 3547 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3547 By: Chisum Environmental Regulation 3/26/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current statutory authority limits the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission's (TNRCC) use of revenues collected from the motor vehicle safety inspection (MVSI) fee. Many would like to increase TNRCC's share of the MVSI fee to be used to safeguard the natural resources of the state and to maximize the use of fee revenues. House Bill 3547 expands the use of the revenues collected from the motor vehicle safety inspection fee and increases the amount of revenues deposited to TNRCC. 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 House Bill 3547 amends the Health and Safety Code to increase the motor vehicle inspection (MVSI) fee from $2 to $3 and to set forth provisions relating to the revenues derived from the fee. The bill requires that $3 of each advance payment collected by the Department of Public Safety for inspection certificates be deposited in the state treasury to the credit of the Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission (TNRCC) operating fund account (account). The bill requires the funds in the account to be used to safeguard the natural resources of the state as necessary to address potential or actual environmental impacts reasonably related to the activities of the fee payers. TNRCC is required to request the appropriation of sufficient money to safeguard the natural resources of the state. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.