Several recently filed bills relate to fees/taxes charged by agencies and make several changes to Texas statutes.
All of the bills filed below either give the agency related to the article or all state agencies the ability to adopt and collect fees or charges to “cover any costs the agency incurs in performing its lawful functions.” Read below for additional details on what else these bills establish/change:
Article I – HB 3665 by Otto & SB 1579 by Ogden
Elements of the bill include:
- Allow for leasing of state-owned parking lot or garage to private individual.*
- Limits state debt payable from general revenue (GR) and establishes computation of debt limit.*
- Permits the Attorney General to charge a toll project entity a reasonable fee for certain reviews.*
Article II – HB 3666 by Zerwas & SB 1580 by Ogden
Elements of the bill include:
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – Discontinue use of electronic fingerprint-imaging or photo imaging of applicants.*
- Further study and other issues surrounding “Telemonitoring”*
- Commission to determine whether the Medicaid Enhanced Care program’s diabetes self-management training telemonitoring pilot program was cost neutral or select a new program that would be cost neutral.*
- Develop and implement a cost neutral telemonitoring pilot program for conditions other than diabetes.*
- Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) of Public Assistance Reporting Information System (PARIS) between several agencies for the purpose of coordinating and collection information about the use and analysis of data received and develop new strategies for state agencies to use system data in ways that generate fiscal savings for the state.*
- Develop an assessment process for use in assessing the needs of a Medicaid recipient for acute nursing services and implement process within fee-for-service (FFS) model and managed care model (PCCM) and STAR and STAR+PLUS managed care programs.*
- Therapy Service assessments may be developed after assessment process for acute nursing services.*
- A study to evaluate physician incentive programs that attempt to reduce hospital emergency room use for non-emergent conditions for recipients under medical assistance program.*
Article III – HB 3639 by Pitts & SB 1581 by Ogden
Elements of the bill include:
- Reduces state contribution for retired teachers by a half percent to equal .5 percent of the salary of each active employee.*
- Amount of state revenue to school district in regards to the weighted average daily attendance (WADA) is capped at $8,000.*
Article IV – HB 3648 by Otto & SB 1582 by Ogden
Elements of the bill include:
- Addresses fees for process server certification.*
- Addresses fiscal matters relating to judicial and court personnel.*
Article V – HB 3649 by Otto & SB 1583 by Ogden
Elements of the bill include:
- Revises theft prevention statutes including grant details.
- Addresses fiscal matters regarding municipal and county jails.
- Supervised re-entry program.
- Wine Marking Assistance Program – statute which providing funding repealed.
Article VI – HB 3418 by Darby & SB 1584 by Ogden
Elements of the bill include:
- Petroleum Industry fees – fiscal years ending and beginning dates are struck.
- Funding for state sites – for-profit partnerships addressed as well as other park provisions established.
- Coastal Erosion funding is addresses.
- Commercial Vessel Docking Fee is established.
- Establishes certain funding for implementing Subchapter H, Ch 33, of Natural Resources Code.
- Establishes a program to support Air Quality research.
- Funding for certain TCEQ programs are addressed (clean school bus, clean fleet, health effects study, air quality planning, etc).
Article VII – HB 3417 by Darby & SB 1585 by Ogden
Elements of the bill include:
- Maximize Federal Funds for transportation improvements.
- Department may evaluate highway use to determine if damage is caused by over size/weight vehicles and if fees are adequate to offset cost.
- Fee shall be determined by vehicle weight and distanced traveled.
- Office of Rural Affairs is established within the Department of Agriculture.
Article VIII – HB 3419 by Darby & SB 1586 by Ogden
Elements of the bill include:
- Committee established to review outcomes and cost containment health care strategies*
- Health Care pilot*
- Health care entity or individual may submit to the “Health Care Payment and Delivery Reform Committee” a proposal for a pilot program to design and implement a new health care payment or delivery system.
- Those participating in an approved pilot may employ a physician.
- Health Insurance Connector established and detailed.
All Articles – HB 3790 by Pitts & SB 1811 by Duncan
This bill contains all the items above that have an (*) and the bill also has some additional elements such as:
- Accelerator issues reported on in previous HillCo Client Advisory which applies to gasoline & diesel fuel tax collections, certain franchise taxes, and mixed beverages taxes and fees on certain alcoholic beverages.
- Addresses cigarette and cement tax.
- Requires a governing board of a public retirement system to make an annual contribution to the Pension Review Board (PRB) of 50 cents for each active member and certain annuitant.
- Sets a school district wide average at 21 students instead of 22 students for grades K-4.
- Addresses teacher salary formula.