BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 2183 By: Uher March 29, 1995 Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND Article 1118z, V.T.C.S., authorizes cities or towns with a population of 56,000 or more to create a mass transit department. The creation of a mass transit department provides the city or town with authority to levy a sales and use tax within certain set limits. Lowering the population limit would allow the population of the city or town to be consistent with the lower threshold population range of 50,000-200,000 the U.S. Department of Transportation apportionment. PURPOSE Operating assistance is the greatest need for most small city providers. These needs are for specialized transit services rather than fixed route services provided by the transit providers. It has not been feasible for this sector of the transit industry to provide much long-range planning. Since small city transit providers have limited resources available to them at the local level to cover theses costs, transit operators have limited planning operations. By lowering the population limit from 56,000 to 50,000, a greater number of cities and towns may choose to levy taxes to provide for mass transit. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Article 1118z, §2(a), V.T.C.S. to authorize an incorporated city or town with a population of 50,000 or more create a mass transit department. SECTION 2. Declares an emergency in order to suspend the rules requiring a bill be read on three separate days. SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE ACTION H.B. 2183 was considered in a public hearing on March 27, 1995. The following people testified in favor of the bill: Tom Griebel, representing the Texas Department of Transportation. The bill was reported favorably, without amendment, with the recommendation that it do pass and be printed and be sent to the Committee on Local and Consent Calendars, by a record vote of 7 ayes, 0 nays, 0 pnv, and 2 absent.