1-1 By: Oliveira, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Shapleigh) H.B. No. 1918
1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House May 10, 1999;
1-3 May 10, 1999, read first time and referred to Special Committee on
1-4 Border Affairs; May 14, 1999, reported adversely, with favorable
1-5 Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 5, Nays 0;
1-6 May 14, 1999, sent to printer.)
1-7 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 1918 By: Shapleigh
1-8 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-9 AN ACT
1-10 relating to the Texas Department of Transportation planning of
1-11 multimodal and intermodal transportation.
1-12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-13 SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 201, Transportation Code,
1-14 is amended by adding Section 201.208 to read as follows:
1-15 Sec. 201.208. INTERMODAL PLANNING FUNCTION. Notwithstanding
1-16 any other law, the department is designated as the state's planning
1-17 agency for intermodal transportation, including highways, airports,
1-18 railroads, and seaports for purposes of federal law.
1-19 SECTION 2. Section 201.601, Transportation Code, is amended
1-20 to read as follows:
1-21 Sec. 201.601. STATEWIDE TRANSPORTATION PLAN. (a) The department
1-22 shall develop a statewide transportation plan that meets the
1-23 requirements of 23 U.S.C. Section 135, as amended, and contains all
1-24 modes of transportation, including:
1-25 (1) highways, farm-to-market roads, and turnpikes;
1-26 (2) aviation;
1-27 (3) mass transportation;
1-28 (4) railroads [and high-speed railroads]; and
1-29 (5) water traffic.
1-30 (b) In addition to the planning factors outlined in the
1-31 statewide transportation plan described by Subsection (a) and any
1-32 applicable federal statutes and regulations, the department shall,
1-33 in developing the plan:
1-34 (1) seek written and oral comments from
1-35 representatives of the airline, maritime, shipping, and railroad
1-36 industries in this state;
1-37 (2) consider issues raised by staff or representatives
1-38 of the Office of the State Comptroller; the Texas Transportation
1-39 Institute at Texas A&M University, the Center for Transportation
1-40 Research at The University of Texas at Austin, and any other
1-41 transportation council, center, or institution in this state;
1-42 (3) develop recommendations concerning linkages
1-43 between statewide transportation facilities and national and
1-44 international markets;
1-45 (4) develop recommendations concerning transportation
1-46 linkages between rural communities in this state and national and
1-47 international markets and between the border region and national
1-48 and international markets;
1-49 (5) develop strategies to make sea ports located on
1-50 the Gulf Coast of this state and inland ports-of-entry on the
1-51 Texas-Mexico border region the ports of choice for commerce in the
1-52 United States;
1-53 (6) develop strategies to eliminate congestion at
1-54 international border crossings in this state and recommend
1-55 revisions to the department's funding formulas to reflect and
1-56 address the damage caused by the North American Free Trade
1-57 Agreement-related commercial vehicle traffic;
1-58 (7) address and recommend means to facilitate access
1-59 to ports located on the Pacific Coast of Mexico that have the
1-60 support and dedication of the federal and state governments of the
1-61 United Mexican States;
1-62 (8) address and recommend means to permanently
1-63 increase and facilitate planning and capacity funding to the three
1-64 Texas-Mexico border transportation districts, recommend revisions
2-1 to the department's funding formulas to increase funding to the
2-2 same districts in order to expedite the flow of North American Free
2-3 Trade Agreement-related commercial motor vehicle traffic, and
2-4 develop strategies to increase the transportation infrastructure of
2-5 the El Paso, Laredo, and Pharr Transportation Districts; and
2-6 (9) address funding for the plan [In developing the
2-7 plan, the department shall seek opinions and assistance from other
2-8 state agencies and political subdivisions that have responsibility
2-9 for the modes of transportation listed by Subsection (a). As
2-10 appropriate, the department and such an agency or political
2-11 subdivision shall enter into a memorandum of understanding relating
2-12 to the planning of transportation services].
2-13 SECTION 3. Subchapter H, Chapter 201, Transportation Code,
2-14 is amended by adding Section 201.613 to read as follows:
2-15 Sec. 201.613. TRANSPORTATION PLAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
2-16 (a) In this section, "border region" has the meaning assigned by
2-17 Section 481.001, Government Code.
2-18 (b) The commission shall appoint a transportation plan
2-19 advisory committee to consult on the development of the statewide
2-20 transportation plan required by Section 201.601. In making
2-21 appointments to the advisory committee, the commission shall
2-22 appoint members who represent transportation interests and who come
2-23 from different geographic regions of this state. At least one
2-24 member must be a resident of the border region.
2-25 (c) A member of the advisory committee serves at the will of
2-26 the commission.
2-27 (d) A member of the advisory committee is not entitled to
2-28 receive compensation for serving as a member but is entitled to
2-29 reimbursement for reasonable expenses incurred by the member while
2-30 performing the member's duties on the advisory committee.
2-31 (e) Except as provided by this section, the advisory
2-32 committee is subject to Chapter 2110, Government Code.
2-33 SECTION 4. Not later than January 1, 2001, the Texas
2-34 Department of Transportation shall complete the plan required by
2-35 Section 201.601, Transportation Code, as amended by this Act, and
2-36 submit the plan to the governor and legislature.
2-37 SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-38 SECTION 6. The importance of this legislation and the
2-39 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-40 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-41 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-42 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
2-43 * * * * *