The bill would amend the Transportation Code to establish the High-Speed Rail Legislative Review Committee composed of three state senators appointed by the Lieutenant Governor and three members of the house of representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House. The bill would require the committee to establish rules and standards for the committee to review an application from a private entity to apply for a franchise to build a high-speed rail project in Texas. The bill would require the committee to establish and impose an application fee sufficient to cover all costs associated with processing the application and determining whether to make a recommendation to recreate the Texas High-Speed Rail Authority to make franchise decisions, including the use of eminent domain on behalf of the franchise. The bill would establish requirements for the committee for soliciting public comments, holding public hearings, and making recommendations to the legislature regarding an application.
Because the number of applicants and the amount of the application fee that may be established by the committee under the provisions of the bill is unknown, the impact to State revenue cannot be determined. For the purposes of this analysis, it is assumed a fee established by the committee would generate revenue sufficient to cover the costs of the committee's work and would not result in a significant fiscal impact to the State.
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.