Enrolled Bill Summary

            Senate Bill 769 amends the Transportation Code to authorize the creation of an advanced transportation district in a metropolitan transit authority (MTA) in which the sales and use tax is imposed at a rate of one-half of one percent and in which the principal municipality has a population of more than 700,000. The act authorizes the board of the MTA to order an election to create an advanced transportation district within the MTA's boundaries and, if the measure is passed, to impose a local sales and use tax of one-fourth of one percent. The act requires that the election results for each municipality and unincorporated area be tabulated separately. If the principal municipality in the MTA approves the measure, the district is created, and each of the other municipalities and unincorporated areas in the MTA that pass the measure are also included in the district. Senate Bill 769 prescribes the contents and disposition of an order to adopt a district and makes provision for holding subsequent elections in the other municipalities and unincorporated areas if the measure is not initially approved. The act sets forth a maximum allowable combined tax rate of sales and use taxes imposed by the district and political subdivisions of two percent for a location within a district and provides a method to determine which taxes to repeal if the imposed limit is exceeded. The act also authorizes the board and general manager of the MTA to conduct the business of a district, but the district otherwise has the same powers as the MTA.