Texas House Bill HB654

Texas 2011 - 82nd Regular

• Introduced: 1/13/11
• Out of House Committee: 4/27/11
• Voted on by House: 5/6/11
• Refer: 2/21/11
• Out of Senate Committee: 5/17/11
• Report Pass: 4/20/11
• Voted on by Senate: 5/24/11
• Engrossed: 5/6/11
• Governor Action: 6/17/11
• Refer: 5/9/11
• Report Pass: 5/17/11
• Enrolled: 5/26/11
• Passed: 6/17/11

Caption

Relating to a report regarding the municipality or county of origin of certain tax revenue collected by the comptroller.

Impact

The implementation of HB 654 is likely to influence state laws related to tax reporting and municipal oversight. By establishing a requirement for the comptroller to publish origin data, the bill seeks to create a more accountable system whereby taxpayers can understand how tax revenues are distributed across different regions. The intention is to provide insights that could potentially influence future legislative decisions and financial allocations, as well as promote better financial management practices among local governments.

Summary

House Bill 654 is designed to enhance the transparency of tax revenue collection in Texas by requiring the comptroller to report on the origins of tax revenue collected from municipalities and counties. Specifically, the bill mandates that before each regular session of the legislature, the comptroller must provide a report detailing the total amount of revenue collected for each tax, broken down by municipality and county, if such information can be obtained from tax returns. This report is aimed at providing accountability and clear information on where tax revenues are generated within the state.

Contention

While the bill is generally seen as a move towards greater transparency, it may face contention regarding concerns about privacy and the sensitivity of tax information. Although the bill specifies that individual tax payments will not be disclosed, local governments may still be wary of the additional administrative burden posed by such reporting requirements. Furthermore, some may argue that the bill's focus on the locality of tax revenues could lead to district-level comparisons that could be misleading or politically charged. Overall, discussions around the bill could evoke debates on the balance between transparency and local fiscal privacy.