By Greenberg, Krusee, Dukes, Maxey, H.B. No. 2446 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to performance audits of certain metropolitan transit 1-3 authorities. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 403, Government Code, is 1-6 amended by adding Section 403.026 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 403.026. PERFORMANCE AUDIT OF CERTAIN TRANSIT 1-8 AUTHORITIES. (a) This section applies only to a transit authority 1-9 that is governed by Chapter 451, Transportation Code, and: 1-10 (1) was confirmed before July 1, 1985, and does not 1-11 contain a municipality with a population of more than 750,000; or 1-12 (2) contains a municipality with a population of more 1-13 than 1.2 million. 1-14 (b) The comptroller may, on the request of an entity listed 1-15 in Subsection (c), enter into an interlocal contract under Chapter 1-16 791 with a transit authority to conduct a performance audit to 1-17 determine whether the authority is effectively and efficiently 1-18 providing the services it was created to provide. The comptroller 1-19 shall report the findings of an audit conducted under this section 1-20 and make appropriate recommendations on changes in the operations 1-21 of the authority to the governing body of the authority. 1-22 (c) A performance audit under this section may be requested 1-23 by: 1-24 (1) the governing body of the transit authority; 1-25 (2) the governing body of the municipality with the 2-1 largest population in the authority; or 2-2 (3) the commissioners court in which the majority of 2-3 the area of the municipality described in Subdivision (2) is 2-4 located. 2-5 (d) A contract under Subsection (b) shall provide that the 2-6 authority will reimburse the comptroller for costs incurred in 2-7 conducting the audit. 2-8 (e) The comptroller shall file a report containing the 2-9 results of an audit performed under this section with the governor, 2-10 the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of 2-11 representatives, and the presiding officers of the committees of 2-12 the senate and the house of representatives responsible for 2-13 approving legislation governing the authority. 2-14 (f) An audit may not be conducted under this section more 2-15 often than once every two years. 2-16 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the 2-17 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-18 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-19 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-20 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-21 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-22 passage, and it is so enacted.