SRC-DPW S.B. 537 76(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 537
By: Cain
Infrastructure
3/1/1999
As Filed


DIGEST 

Currently, Texas law authorizes the Texas Transportation Commission to
enter into agreements with counties, municipalities, and transportation
corporations for improvements of the state highway system, and grants the
Texas Department of Transportation the authority to enter into agreements
with regional tollway authorities to provide certain services with no
obligation.  This bill would authorize the Texas Transportation Commission
and the Texas Department of Transportation to enter into agreements with a
regional tollway authority, and authorizes a regional tollway authority or
the Texas Turnpike Authority to set prima facie speed limits for vehicles
on a turnpike. 

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.B. 537 authorizes the Texas Transportation Commission and
the Texas Department of Transportation to enter into agreements with a
regional tollway authority, and authorizes a regional tollway authority or
the Texas Turnpike Authority to set prima facie speed limits for vehicles
on a turnpike. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 201C, Transportation Code, by adding Section
201.113, as follows: 

Sec. 201.113.AGREEMENTS WITH REGIONAL TOLLWAY AUTHORITIES.  Authorizes the
Texas Transportation Commission and a regional tollway authority to enter
into an agreement for the improvement by a regional tollway authority of
portions of the state highway system.  Defines "improvement." 

SECTION 2. Chapter 201I, Transportation Code, by adding Section 201.707, as
follows: 

Sec. 201.707. AGREEMENTS FOR SERVICES ON REGIONAL TOLLWAY AUTHORITY
PROJECTS.  Authorizes the Texas Department of Transportation (department)
and a regional tollway authority to enter into an agreement under which the
department will provide services on turnpike projects including but not
limited to courtesy patrols, for fair and reasonable compensation. 

SECTION 3. Amends the section heading and Subsection (a), Section 545.354,
Transportation Code, as follows: 

Sec. 545.354. New heading: AUTHORITY OF TEXAS TURNPIKE AUTHORITY AND
REGIONAL TOLLWAY AUTHORITIES TO ALTER SPEED LIMITS ON TURNPIKE PROJECTS.
Defines "authority."  Authorizes an authority, rather than the Texas
Turnpike Authority, to determine prima facie speed limits for vehicles on a
turnpike. 

SECTION 4. Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 5. Emergency clause.