By Armbrister S.B. No. 698
75R5283 JSA-F
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to research relating to transportation facilities
1-3 conducted by public senior colleges and universities for the Texas
1-4 Department of Transportation.
1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-6 SECTION 1. Sections 67.24 and 85.29, Education Code, are
1-7 amended to read as follows:
1-8 Sec. 67.24. Research and Experimentation for Texas
1-9 Department of Transportation. (a) The department may contract
1-10 with the university for the university to conduct research relating
1-11 to transportation, including the economics, planning, design,
1-12 construction, maintenance, or operation of transportation
1-13 facilities.
1-14 (b) An agreement entered into under this section is not
1-15 subject to the Interagency Cooperation Act (Chapter 771, Government
1-16 Code).
1-17 (c) The [state] comptroller [of public accounts] may draw
1-18 proper warrants in favor of the university based on vouchers or
1-19 claims submitted by the university through the department [Texas
1-20 Department of Transportation] covering reasonable fees and charges
1-21 for services rendered by members of the staff of the university
1-22 system to the department [Texas Department of Transportation] and
1-23 for equipment and materials necessary for research and
1-24 experimentation under a contract entered into under this section.
2-1 (d) The comptroller [in all phases of highway activity,
2-2 economics, materials, specifications, design of roadways,
2-3 construction, maintenance, pavement and structures, drainage,
2-4 traffic control, safety, the economics of highway design and
2-5 construction, and other fields of highway design, construction,
2-6 maintenance, or operation, based on an agreement between the Texas
2-7 Department of Transportation and the university in accordance with
2-8 the provisions of Texas Highway Department Minute Order Number
2-9 52742, dated May 24, 1963; and the state treasurer] shall pay
2-10 warrants [so] issued under this section against any funds
2-11 appropriated by the legislature to the department [Texas Department
2-12 of Transportation for the construction and maintenance of highways,
2-13 roads, and bridges]. The payments made to the university shall be
2-14 credited and deposited to local institutional funds under its
2-15 control.
2-16 (e) In this section:
2-17 (1) "Department" means the Texas Department of
2-18 Transportation.
2-19 (2) "Transportation facilities" means highways,
2-20 turnpikes, airports, railroads, including high-speed railroads,
2-21 bicycle and pedestrian facilities, waterways, pipelines, electric
2-22 utility facilities, communication lines and facilities, public
2-23 transportation facilities, port facilities, and facilities
2-24 appurtenant to other transportation facilities.
2-25 Sec. 85.29. Research and Experimentation for Texas
2-26 Department of Transportation. (a) The department may contract
2-27 with the university system for a component or agency of the
3-1 university system to conduct research relating to transportation,
3-2 including the economics, planning, design, construction,
3-3 maintenance, or operation of transportation facilities.
3-4 (b) An agreement entered into under this section is not
3-5 subject to the Interagency Cooperation Act (Chapter 771, Government
3-6 Code).
3-7 (c) The [state] comptroller [of public accounts] may draw
3-8 proper warrants in favor of any part of the university system based
3-9 on vouchers or claims submitted by the system through the
3-10 department [Texas Department of Transportation] covering reasonable
3-11 fees and charges for services rendered by members of the staff of
3-12 the system to the department [Texas Department of Transportation]
3-13 and for equipment and materials necessary for research and
3-14 experimentation under a contract entered into under this section.
3-15 (d) The comptroller [in all phases of highway activity,
3-16 economics, materials, specifications, design of roadways,
3-17 construction, maintenance, pavement and structures, traffic
3-18 control, safety, the economics of highway design and construction,
3-19 and other fields of highway design, construction, maintenance, or
3-20 operation, based on an agreement between the State Highway
3-21 Department and the Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College System
3-22 as passed by the State Highway Department on September 29, 1948,
3-23 and recorded by the Texas Department of Transportation as Minute
3-24 Order Number 25396; and the state treasurer] shall pay warrants
3-25 [so] issued under this section against any funds appropriated by
3-26 the legislature to the department [Texas Department of
3-27 Transportation for the construction and maintenance of highways,
4-1 roads, and bridges]. The payments made to the system shall be
4-2 credited and deposited to local institutional funds under its
4-3 control.
4-4 (e) In this section:
4-5 (1) "Department" means the Texas Department of
4-6 Transportation.
4-7 (2) "Transportation facilities" means highways,
4-8 turnpikes, airports, railroads, including high-speed railroads,
4-9 bicycle and pedestrian facilities, waterways, pipelines, electric
4-10 utility facilities, communication lines and facilities, public
4-11 transportation facilities, port facilities, and facilities
4-12 appurtenant to other transportation facilities.
4-13 SECTION 2. Subtitle H, Title 3, Education Code, is amended
4-14 by adding Chapter 150 to read as follows:
4-15 CHAPTER 150. TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH
4-16 Sec. 150.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
4-17 (1) "Department" means the Texas Department of
4-18 Transportation.
4-19 (2) "Public senior college or university" has the
4-20 meaning assigned by Section 61.003.
4-21 (3) "Transportation facilities" means highways,
4-22 turnpikes, airports, railroads, including high-speed railroads,
4-23 bicycle and pedestrian facilities, waterways, pipelines, electric
4-24 utility facilities, communication lines and facilities, public
4-25 transportation facilities, port facilities, and facilities
4-26 appurtenant to other transportation facilities.
4-27 Sec. 150.002. CONTRACTS. (a) The department may contract
5-1 with a public senior college or university for the college or
5-2 university to conduct research relating to transportation,
5-3 including the economics, planning, design, construction,
5-4 maintenance, or operation of transportation facilities.
5-5 (b) An agreement entered into under this chapter is not
5-6 subject to the Interagency Cooperation Act (Chapter 771, Government
5-7 Code).
5-8 Sec. 150.003. PAYMENT FOR SERVICES, MATERIALS, AND
5-9 EQUIPMENT. (a) The comptroller may draw a warrant in favor of a
5-10 public senior college or university based on a voucher or claim
5-11 submitted by the college or university through the department for
5-12 services rendered and materials and equipment provided by the
5-13 college or university under a contract entered into under this
5-14 chapter.
5-15 (b) The comptroller shall pay a warrant issued under this
5-16 section out of money appropriated by the legislature to the
5-17 department. Payments received by a public senior college or
5-18 university under this section are local funds of the college or
5-19 university.
5-20 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
5-21 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
5-22 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
5-23 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
5-24 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
5-25 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
5-26 passage, and it is so enacted.