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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Ashbill

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/26/07

HB

SHORT TITLE Government Plates for Irrigation Districts

SB 315

ANALYST Earnest

REVENUE (dollars in thousands)

Estimated Revenue

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

FY09

($0.1)

($0.1)

($0.1) Recurring State Road Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Revenue Decreases)

Duplicates House Bill 43

Relates to Senate Bill 290

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Taxation and Revenue Department (TRD)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 315 would allow fleet vehicles of irrigation districts to obtain government

registration plates. Vehicles with government plates are not required to be registered, but they

must display plates provided by the Motor Vehicle Division. These plates are permanent and

need not be renewed.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

According to TRD, registration fee revenue would decrease under the proposal. Total impacts,

however, are probably less than $10 thousand per year.

Senate Bill 315 – Page

2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

The bill specifies irrigation districts should be provided government plates. In addition, at least

two solid waste authorities, formed among counties and municipalities, have raised concerns

about TRD’s finding that such entities do not qualify for government plates under current statute.

Government plates were issued by the Motor Vehicle Division of TRD in previous years. Since

reversal of the policy, solid waste authorities have been required to pay yearly registration fees.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

None identified.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

This bill duplicates House Bill 43 and relates to relates to Senate Bill 290, which also includes

solid waste authorities, and mutual domestic water associations.

TECHNICAL ISSUES

According to TRD, the bill references irrigation districts but doesn’t specify that they must be

public

irrigation districts. Without such clarification, there may be no basis to deny government

plates to private acequia associations and similar organizations.

BE/nt