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Senate Bill 1747 |
Senate Author: Uresti et al. |
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Effective: 9-1-13 |
House Sponsor: Keffer et al. |
Senate Bill 1747 amends the Transportation Code to establish the transportation infrastructure fund, provide for its composition, and restrict appropriation of money in the fund to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) for the fund's purposes. The bill requires TxDOT to develop policies and procedures to administer a grant program to make grants to counties for transportation infrastructure projects located in areas of the state affected by increased oil and gas production and provides for the allocation of grants among counties. The bill sets out requirements regarding the grant application process, matching funds, and subsequent grant applications by a county.
Senate Bill 1747 authorizes a county to create a county energy transportation reinvestment zone in an area affected by oil and gas exploration and production activities, sets out applicable procedures and requirements regarding the creation of such a zone, including the establishment of a property tax increment account for the zone, and provides for the termination and extension of a zone. The bill also authorizes a commissioners court to enter into an agreement with TxDOT to designate a county energy transportation reinvestment zone for a specified transportation infrastructure project involving a state highway located in the proposed zone and provides for the alternative formation of a road utility district that has the same boundaries as a county energy transportation reinvestment zone in order to assist the county in developing a transportation infrastructure project. The bill provides for, as a condition of eligibility for a transportation infrastructure project grant, the creation of a county energy transportation reinvestment zone advisory board by a county.
Senate Bill 1747 requires a road condition report made by a county that is operating under a system of administering county roads to include, if reasonably ascertained, the primary cause of any road, culvert, or bridge degradation. The bill authorizes a commissioners court to accept donations of labor, money, or other property to aid in the building or maintaining of roads, culverts, or bridges in the county.
Senate Bill 1747 specifies that its provisions relating to county energy transportation reinvestment zones and the advisory boards of such zones prevail over similar provisions in House Bill 2300, 83rd Legislature, Regular Session, 2013, and that those provisions in House Bill 2300 have no effect.