HBA-NMO H.B. 236 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 236 By: Krusee Urban Affairs 2/10/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Legislation enacted by the 75th Texas Legislature changed the board composition of certain metropolitan transit authorities. As a result, a situation has arisen in Austin's Capital Metropolitan Transit Authority (CapMetro) whereby the Municipal Utility District of Wells Branch could cast a vote for the Williamson County representative on the CapMetro board even though no part of Wells Branch that lies in Williamson County also lies within the CapMetro service district. Wells Branch currently has representation on the board through the Travis County board member. H.B. 236 amends language to remedy this situation. This bill also provides that the provisions relating to the composition of the board still apply if the principal city of a metropolitan transit authority changes its electoral process. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 451.5021, Transportation Code, by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (g), as follows: (b) Provides that one member of the seven-member governing body of a rapid transit authority (board) is appointed by a panel that, in addition to the mayors and county judges in the service area, includes the presiding officer of each municipal utility district having territory located wholly, rather than partially, outside the principal county and wholly or partly in the authority. (g) Provides that this section continues to apply only to a board in which each member of the governing body of the principal municipality is elected at large, notwithstanding a change in the method of electing the members of the governing body of the principal municipality. SECTION 2. Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.