1-1     By:  Greenberg, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Barrientos)  H.B. No. 2446

 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 1, 1997;

 1-3     May 2, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on

 1-4     Intergovernmental Relations; May 16, 1997, reported favorably, as

 1-5     amended, by the following vote:  Yeas 10, Nays 0; May 16, 1997,

 1-6     sent to printer.)

 1-7     COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1                             By:  Gallegos

 1-8     Amend the Committee Substitute for H.B. 2446 in Subchapter B,

 1-9     Chapter 403, Government Code by deleting Sec. 403.026(a) of the

1-10     bill (Page 1, line 24, Engrossed Version) and inserting a new Sec.

1-11     403.026(a) to read as follows:

1-12           Sec. 403.026.  PERFORMANCE AUDIT OF CERTAIN TRANSIT

1-13     AUTHORITIES.  (a)  This section applies only to a transit authority

1-14     that is governed by Chapter 451, Transportation Code and was

1-15     confirmed before July 1, 1985 and does not contain a municipality

1-16     of more than 750,000.

1-17                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

1-18                                   AN ACT

1-19     relating to performance audits of certain metropolitan transit

1-20     authorities.

1-21           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-22           SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 403, Government Code, is

1-23     amended by adding Section 403.026 to read as follows:

1-24           Sec. 403.026.  PERFORMANCE AUDIT OF CERTAIN TRANSIT

1-25     AUTHORITIES.  (a)  This section applies only to a transit authority

1-26     that is governed by Chapter 451, Transportation Code, and:

1-27                 (1)  was confirmed before July 1, 1985, and does not

1-28     contain a municipality with a population of more than 750,000; or

1-29                 (2)  contains a municipality with a population of more

1-30     than 1.2 million.

1-31           (b)  The comptroller may, on the request of an entity listed

1-32     in Subsection (c), enter into an interlocal contract under Chapter

1-33     791 with a transit authority to conduct a performance audit to

1-34     determine whether the authority is effectively and efficiently

1-35     providing the services it was created to provide.   The comptroller

1-36     shall report the findings of an audit conducted under this section

1-37     and make appropriate recommendations on changes in the operations

1-38     of the authority to the governing body of the authority.

1-39           (c)  A performance audit under this section may be requested

1-40     by:

1-41                 (1)  the governing body of the transit authority;

1-42                 (2)  the governing body of the municipality with the

1-43     largest population in the authority; or

1-44                 (3)  the commissioners court in which the majority of

1-45     the area of the municipality described in Subdivision (2) is

1-46     located.

1-47           (d)  A contract under Subsection (b) shall provide that the

1-48     authority will reimburse the comptroller for costs incurred in

1-49     conducting the audit.

1-50           (e)  The comptroller shall file a report containing the

1-51     results of an audit performed under this section with the governor,

1-52     the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of

1-53     representatives, and the presiding officers of the committees of

1-54     the senate and the house of representatives responsible for

1-55     approving legislation governing the authority.

1-56           (f)  An audit may not be conducted under this section more

1-57     often than once every two years.

1-58           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-59     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-60     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-61     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-62     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-63     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

1-64     passage, and it is so enacted.

 2-1                                  * * * * *