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).