BILL ANALYSIS



S.B. 927
By: Zaffirini (Cuellar, H.)
04-26-95
Committee Report (Unamended)


BACKGROUND

The City of Laredo has agreed to undertake the construction and
operation of the Laredo Northwest International Toll Bridge, or
Laredo Bridge #4, with the Texas Turnpike Authority, utilizing
$11.3 million of federal interstate maintenance funds loaned to the
Texas Turnpike Authority (TTA) by the Texas Department of
Transportation (department).  This bridge will help alleviate
congestion on Interstate 35 by diverting heavy truck traffic to the
new bridge and accompanying roadways.

Funds earned by the City of Laredo through tolls collected at the
bridge will be paid to TTA, which will forward the revenue to the
department as repayment of the loan.  When the loan is fully
repaid, TTA will transfer ownership of the bridge to the City of
Laredo.  The entities involved entered into a Memorandum of
Cooperative Intent in January 1995, which defined the roles of each
respective participant in this project.  Statutory authority for
the transfer of ownership of the bridge to the City of Laredo is a
component of this agreement.

PURPOSE

As proposed, C.S.S.B. 927 authorizes the Texas Turnpike Authority
to lease, sell or otherwise convey a turnpike project to a
municipality, and authorizes a municipality to lease, buy, or
otherwise receive a turnpike project.

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 Sections 12c(a) and (b), Article 6674v, V.T.C.S.
(Turnpike Projects), as follows:

     (a) Applies this section only to a county, local government
     corporation serving a county, or a certain adjacent county in
     a joint turnpike authority, and a municipality with a
     population of more than 120,000 that is adjacent to the United
     Mexican States if the  Texas Turnpike Authority (authority),
     the Texas Transportation Commission, and the governor approve
     the transfer of a Turnpike Project as being in the best
     interests of the state and the municipality.  Makes
     nonsubstantive and conforming changes.
     
     (b) Authorizes the authority to lease, sell or otherwise
     convey a turnpike project to a municipality, among other
     political subdivisions.  Authorizes a municipality to lease,
     buy, or otherwise receive a turnpike project.
     
     SECTION 2.     Amends Section 12d, Article 6674v, V.T.C.S., to make
conforming changes.

SECTION 3. Emergency clause.
           Effective date: upon passage.




SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE ACTION

Pursuant to a public notice posted on April 21, 1995, at 4:04 p.m.,
the House Committee on Transportation met in a public hearing on
Wednesday, April 26, 1995, at 2:00 p.m., or upon adjournment, in
Room E1.014 of the Capitol Extension and was called to order at
6:13 p.m. by the Chair, Representative Clyde Alexander.  Pursuant
to House Rule 4, Section 11, the Chair laid out S.B. 927 by
Zaffirini, which is the companion document to H.B. 1751.  H.B. 1751
was heard in a public hearing on March 15, 1995.  No persons
testified in support of, or in opposition to H.B. 1751.  The Chair
laid out H.B. 1751 by Cuellar, H. on March 29, 1995, which was
pending before the Committee.  Representative Moreno laid out the
committee substitute to H.B. 1751 and without objection the
substitute was adopted.  Representative Siebert moved that the
committee report H.B. 1751, as substituted, to the full House with
the recommendation that it do pass.  The motion prevailed by the
following vote: Ayes (6), Nayes (0), Absent (3), Present not voting
(0).  Representative Bosse moved that the Committee report S.B.
927, without amendments, to the full House with the recommendation
that it do pass.  The motion prevailed by the following vote: Ayes
(8), Nayes (0), Absent (1), Present not voting (0).