Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E.

      Line and page numbers may not match official copy.

      By Greenberg                                    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.  Chapter 451 of the Transportation Code is amended

 1-6     by adding Section 451.458 as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 451.458  COMPTROLLER'S PERFORMANCE AUDITS OF CERTAIN

 1-8     AUTHORITIES.  (a)  In addition to the audit required by Section

 1-9     451.454 of this Act, an authority in whose board was confirmed

1-10     before July 1, 1985, and in which the principal municipality has a

1-11     population of less than 750,000 is subject to performance audits by

1-12     the state comptroller of public accounts to determine whether the

1-13     authority is accomplishing the purposes for which it was created.

1-14     In performing an audit under this section, the comptroller may

1-15     examine any budgets and operations of the authority, determine

1-16     whether the authority is effectively and efficiently providing the

1-17     services it was created to provide, and make appropriate

1-18     recommendations to the legislature.

1-19           (b)  The comptroller may initiate an audit under this section

1-20     at the comptroller's discretion and shall initiate an audit at the

1-21     request of the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of

1-22     the house of representatives, or the presiding officer of the

1-23     committee of the senate or the house of representatives responsible

1-24     for approving legislation governing the authority, except that an

 2-1     audit under this section may not be performed more often than once

 2-2     every two years.

 2-3           (c)  The comptroller shall file a copy of the report of each

 2-4     audit performed under this section with each person who has

 2-5     authority to initiate the audit.

 2-6           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-7     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-8     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-9     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-10     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

2-11     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

2-12     passage, and it is so enacted.