July 8, 2019
MONDAY MORNING MESSENGER
In Brief
In this issue of the Monday Morning Messenger , read about some movement on the alternative fuel tax credit that has been expired since 2017 in our Top Story .

Speaking of alternative fuels, find out what industry groups are doing to try to grow the school bus market in Texas.

Additionally, TPGA has partnered with PERS for over a decade for emergency response number compliance, but did you know its use goes beyond shipping papers and posting at outlets? Find out more in our Regulatory Spotlight of the week.

Lastly, we received a large spike in registration the last two weeks, but have you booked your hotel accommodations? Don't get stuck sleeping on the beach, book your hotel stay before the deadline. Find out more in our last story.
MEMBERS ONLY
WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
In this issue
  • In Brief
  • Top Story
  • Market News
  • Regulatory Spotlight
  • Event Update
CALENDAR

July 14-20
July 18, 2019
Convention Hotel Discount & Block Expires
Top Story
Alternative Fuel Tax Credit Update
Late last month, the Congressional Ways & Means Committee voted favorably out of committee a long-awaited tax extenders bill, H.R. 3301. This proposed legislation would extend the Alternative Fuel Tax Credit and the Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Credit for three years, retroactively for 2018 and prospectively through 2020. These credits have been expired since December of 2017.
 
The next step in the process is for the U.S. House Majority Leader to bring this legislation to the House floor for a vote. Earlier this year, the U.S. Senate introduced their own version of a tax extenders package, which is still awaiting review from the Finance Committee. If both Chambers pass their respective extenders bills, negotiations will begin on the details of the final legislation. 
 
This recent action on tax extenders does not guarantee the legislation will be signed into law. However, this is a promising first step in the process and it indicates there is momentum behind this issue.
 
Details of H.R. 3301 are outlined in a Section-by-Section document created by the Ways and Means Committee, click here .

Republished from June 27 NPGA Reports
Market News
Propane Highlighted at the
Texas Association of Pupil Transportation Expo
On June 30, the Propane Council of Texas in partnership with the Propane Education & Research Council and the DFW Clean Cities Coalition attended the Texas Association of Pupil Transportation Expo in Dallas where there were over 1,100 school transportation officials.

School transportation officials & staff swarmed the propane booth to find out more about propane school buses, grants, VW Settlement and the status of the alt fuel tax credit, many of which who operate propane school buses take advantage of.

Funding to switch to cleaner-burning buses has been on the rise. Earlier this summer, TCEQ announced $58M in VW funding for new school buses, which included propane. A majority of the VW funds for school buses has been applied for; however, VW funding still remains for the San Antonio and El Paso regions. In addition to VW, DFW Clean Cities has opened up a $2M clean vehicle grant round for their 10 county region and TCEQ's Clean School Bus Grant Program, a statewide grant is also expected to open in the 4th quarter of 2019/ early 2020.

Texas leads in propane school bus adoption with over 3,000 buses of the nation's 17,000 buses. California is the next largest with 1,905 propane buses.

Check out our coverage of propane at the event in
Student Transportation News , click here .
Regulatory Spotlight
What Can You Use Your PERS # for?
TPGA Members currently get a discount emergency response number through PERS. Ever wonder what you can use the number for. It's use now goes beyond shipping papers.

PERS authorizes each Registrant to use its   emergency response telephone numbers  for:
 
  • Hazardous materials shipping papers;
  • Safety Data Sheets (SDS);
  • Hazard Communication Labels;
  • Posting at registered facilities*;
  • Tier II reporting
 
The PERS domestic  emergency response telephone number   may be posted on gates, fences or other facility fixtures at registered locations. Registered facilities may include bulk storage facilities, unattended fueling sites, and yards where vehicles used to transport hazardous materials are parked.

You must be a paid PERS subscriber to post or use the number.

To subscribe to PERS, please contact 1-800-728-2482.
Convention Spotlight
Convention Hotel Discount Expiring Soon
The Texas Propane Gas Association received a flurry of convention registrations last week.

You've registered. Now, don't forget to secure your room at the

OMNI CORPUS CHRISTI HOTEL
900 NORTH SHORELINE BOULEVARD
CORPUS CHRISTI , TEXAS , 78401
(361) 887-1600

The Omni is located in the lively downtown Marina District, Omni Corpus Christi Hotel offers luxurious newly renovated guestrooms with spectacular views of the Corpus Christi bay. Hotel includes outdoor pool and bar.

The hotel will not only host the room block but the Propane Can Do Marketing Conference, Welcome Reception, President's Cocktail and 75th Anniversary Celebration & Gala/Annual Business & Board Meeting.

The room block and discount expires on July 18, 2019 .
Not registered yet? Don't miss the propane event of the year!