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Senate Bill 1422 |
Senate Author: Nelson et al. |
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Effective: 9-1-11 |
House Sponsor: Solomons |
Senate Bill 1422 amends the Transportation Code to authorize a coordinated county transportation authority to enforce fares and other charges and makes it a misdemeanor to use the authority's public transportation system without paying the appropriate fare. Among other provisions, the bill authorizes an authority to assess an administrative fee on an unpaid fare and to employ fare enforcement officers. The bill also increases the amount at or below which an authority contract may be negotiated without competitive sealed bids or proposals.
Senate Bill 1422 adds a subchapter to the Transportation Code to authorize a service plan to be implemented in an area of a municipality that has not authorized the authority's sales and use tax levy if, among other conditions, the municipality has designated a public transportation financing area as prescribed by the bill and entered into an agreement with the authority to provide tax increment payments in exchange for the authority's public transportation services in the area. The bill's financial provisions describe the role of the comptroller of public accounts under such an agreement, require an accounting of maintenance and operating expenses by the authority, authorize the payment of a capital recovery fee to the authority, and provide for the use of surplus tax increment payment amounts. The bill also prescribes the conditions under which a public transportation financing area may be terminated.