By Truan                                         S.B. No. 566

      75R1647 DRH-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to requiring the Texas Department of Transportation to

 1-3     conduct a study on the highway transportation needs of the state

 1-4     because of  increased international trade under the North American

 1-5     Free Trade Agreement.

 1-6           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-7           SECTION 1.  (a)  The Texas Department of Transportation

 1-8     shall conduct a study on the origin and destination of goods

 1-9     transported over highways in this state.  The department shall

1-10     specifically study the increase in commercial traffic because of

1-11     the North American Free Trade Agreement and identify the highways

1-12     that need to be designated for construction, expansion, and

1-13     maintenance because of the increase in international trade.  The

1-14     department shall consider the costs necessary to accomplish the

1-15     highway improvements.

1-16           (b)  The department shall, not later than December 15, 1998,

1-17     file a written report with the lieutenant governor and the speaker

1-18     of the house of representatives detailing the results of the study

1-19     conducted under Subsection (a) of this section.

1-20           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-21     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-22     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-23     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-24     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

 2-1     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

 2-2     passage, and it is so enacted.