HB 3116

bill widening counties allowed an optional vehicle registration fee

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review

Initial review · graded Oct 20, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to authorizing an optional county fee on vehicle registration in certain counties to be used for transportation projects.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

It funds transportation projects. The $20 increase stays limited.

The bill widens the list of counties that may charge an optional extra county fee on vehicle registration for transportation projects. It adds any county that belongs to a regional mobility authority made up of at least two counties, and it limits the voter-approved increase to $20 to border counties and mid-size single-county mobility authority counties with under 700,000 people. More county commissioners courts could add this fee to drivers' registration bills, while fewer counties would qualify for the higher $20 increase.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R SB 282 by Sen. Eckhardt (Died in committee) and this bill (Died in committee). Checked against 88R only.BACK FROM THE DEAD. Same text as a bill filed before that died: 88R SB 282 by Sen. Eckhardt (Died in committee). Filed in 2 sessions, counting this one. Checked against 88R only.TRY NO. 2. Filed in 2 sessions: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Feb 20, 2025 and referred to the House Transportation subcommittee on Transportation Funding. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB3116 · 2025-02-20

SOLD BY

Rep. John H. Bucy IIIDHouse 136

ITEM

relating to authorizing an optional county fee on vehicle registration in certain counties to be used for transportation projects.

WHAT IT DOES

It funds transportation projects. The $20 increase stays limited.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

Feb 20, 2025Filed
Mar 20, 2025Read first time
Mar 20, 2025Referred to s/c on Transportation Funding by Speaker

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

John H. Bucy III

Donors

Agave Democratic Infrastructure Fund$56KAdam Loewy$20,000Texas Sands PAC$17K

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

Derived itemized flow · Oct 28, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Agave Democratic Infrastructure Fund$56,000.00

Agave Democratic Infrastructure Fund

$56,000.00

Cash: $25,000.00
Paid by others: $31,000.00
Total: $56,000.00

consulting $31,000.00

Also funds 5 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Nov 22, 2024 to Oct 12, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 22, 2024 to Oct 12, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100986907, 101059773, 101069326, 101072293.

Adam Loewy$20,000.00

Texas Sands PAC$17,000.00

Texas Sands PAC

$17,000.00

Cash: $17,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $17,000.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 9, 2024 to Sep 29, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100986907, 101032801, 101059773, 101072293.

Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

Agave Democratic Infrastructure Fund

$56,000.00

Cash: $25,000.00
Paid by others: $31,000.00
Total: $56,000.00

consulting $31,000.00

Also funds 5 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Nov 22, 2024 to Oct 12, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 22, 2024 to Oct 12, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100986907, 101059773, 101069326, 101072293.

Texas Sands PAC

$17,000.00

Cash: $17,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $17,000.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 9, 2024 to Sep 29, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100986907, 101032801, 101059773, 101072293.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

FILED BEFORE

Filed 2 times: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.

88R SB 282

by Sen. Eckhardt, different lead author · Died in committee · same text

Introduced text

Last action, Feb 15, 2023: Referred to Transportation

Relating to authorizing an optional county fee on vehicle registration in certain counties to be used for transportation projects.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas House · Filed Feb 20, 2025

03/20/2025 H Referred to s/c on Transportation Funding by Speaker: Mar 20 2025 11:50AM

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 6:51 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · Transportation · Final status: Died in committee

Companion

SB 798 by Eckhardt (identical)

Subjects

County Government--General

Fees & Other Nontax Revenue--Local

Vehicles & Traffic--Vehicle Registration

Text

The text as introduced · 271 words

89R4362 CXP-F

By: Bucy
H.B. No. 3116

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to authorizing an optional county fee on vehicle

registration in certain counties to be used for transportation

projects.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Sections 502.402(a) and (b-1), Transportation

Code, are amended to read as follows:

(a) This section applies only to:

(1) a county that:

(A) borders the United Mexican States; and

(B) has a population of more than 250,000;

(2) a county that has a population of more than 1.5

million that is coterminous with a regional mobility authority;

[ and ]

(3) a county that has a population of more than 190,000

and not more than 1.5 million that is coterminous with a regional

mobility authority ; and

(4) a county that is part of a regional mobility

authority created under Chapter 370 with at least two counties .

(b-1) The commissioners court of a county described by

Subsection (a)(1) or (3) [ (a) ] with a population of less than

700,000 may increase the additional fee to an amount that does not

exceed $20 if approved by a majority of the qualified voters of the

county voting on the issue at a referendum election, which the

commissioners court may order and hold for that purpose.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives

a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as

provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this

Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this

Act takes effect September 1, 2025.