HBA-ALS H.B. 2463 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2463 By: Alexander Transportation 4/6/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current law, the Texas Transportation Commission (commission) may enter into agreements with a county or a municipality to make improvements to portions of the state highway system. However, there is no statutory provision which allows the commission to enter into these types of agreements with regional tollway authorities. H.B. 2463 grants the commission the authority to enter into similar agreements with regional tollway authorities. Currently, there is no statutory provision granting the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) the authority to enter into agreements with regional tollway authorities to provide services, such as courtesy patrols, on regional tollway authority projects, even though providing these services may be more efficient than the regional authorities providing such services with their own personnel. H.B. 2463 allows TxDOT to enter into agreements to provide such services to regional tollway authorities for fair and reasonable consideration. In addition, this bill authorizes certain regional tollway authorities to alter the prima facie speed limit authority-maintained turnpikes. 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 Subchapter C, Chapter 201, Transportation Code, by adding Section 201.113, as follows: Sec. 201.113. AGREEMENTS WITH REGIONAL TOLLWAY AUTHORITIES. Authorizes the Texas Transportation Commission (commission) to enter into an agreement with a regional tollway authority governed under Chapter 366 (Regional Tollway Authorities) for the improvement by the tollway authority of a portion of the state highway system, notwithstanding Sections 221.003 (Improvement of State Highway System) and 224.031(Duty of Department), Transportation Code. Defines "improvement." SECTION 2. Amends Subchapter I, Chapter 201, Transportation Code, by adding Section 201.707, as follows: Sec. 201.707. AGREEMENTS FOR SERVICES WITH REGIONAL TOLLWAY AUTHORITIES. Authorizes the department to enter into an agreement with a regional tollway authority governed by Chapter 366, under which the department, provides services, including courtesy patrols, on a turnpike project of the tollway authority for fair and reasonable compensation, notwithstanding Section 201.703(c) (relating to the expenditure of state money for roads not on the state highway system). SECTION 3. Amends Section 545.354, Transportation Code, as follows: Sec. 545.354. New title: AUTHORITY TO ALTER SPEED LIMITS ON TURNPIKE PROJECTS. Deletes "of Texas Turnpike Authority" from existing title. SECTION 4. Amends Section 545.354, Transportation Code, by adding Subsection (h), as follows: (h) Authorizes a regional tollway authority governed by Chapter 366 to alter a prima facie speed limit on a turnpike that it maintains in the same manner as the Texas Turnpike Authority under this section. SECTION 5.Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 6.Emergency clause.