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Senate advances substitute for wide-ranging user-fees bill with exemptions for education
Summary
Senate substitute for SB 190, a lengthy user-fees overhaul, was substituted and amended on the floor; sponsors removed public and higher education from coverage, delayed implementation to July 1, 1991, and moved the substitute to the third-reading calendar after debate about scope and administrative impact.
Senator McAllister introduced a substitute for Senate Bill 190, a comprehensive user-fees bill described on the floor as roughly 500 pages with eight core pages that establish the principal procedure (chapter 38a). The substitute removes public education and higher education from coverage and contains technical amendments requested by state agencies, including the Departments of Finance and Social Services.
Sponsors argued the substitute was the product of extensive interim work and emphasized phased implementation; the bill's implementation date was set for July 1, 1991, to allow a year for agencies to prepare. Senators debated whether the bill would create an excessive administrative burden (additional staffing in the Department of Finance was cited), whether the legislature should centralize fee oversight, and which agencies and fees would fall under the process. After floor amendments and discussion, the substitute was approved for placement on the third-reading calendar by roll call as announced by the clerk.
Several senators urged review and scrutiny when the bill returns given its size and broad implications for agency fee-setting practices.
