1-1     By:  McReynolds, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Shapiro)    H.B. No. 2598
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 10, 1999;
 1-3     May 10, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on State
 1-4     Affairs; May 14, 1999, reported favorably by the following vote:
 1-5     Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 14, 1999, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to plans and specifications for projects on public
 1-9     rights-of-way.
1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11           SECTION 1.  Section 5, Article 9102, Revised Statutes, is
1-12     amended by adding Subsections (i) and (j) to read as follows:
1-13           (i)  Employees of the Texas Department of Transportation
1-14     responsible for the approval of plans and specifications for a
1-15     project on a public right-of-way shall complete applicable training
1-16     offered by the department.  The Texas Department of Transportation
1-17     shall reimburse the department for the actual cost incurred by the
1-18     department in providing the training.
1-19           (j)  The Texas Department of Transportation shall submit to
1-20     the department plans and specifications for each project
1-21     constructed on a public right-of-way containing pedestrian
1-22     facilities funded in whole or part by the Texas Department of
1-23     Transportation to ensure compliance with the accessibility
1-24     standards adopted under this article.  Before November 1 of each
1-25     year the Texas Department of Transportation shall submit to the
1-26     department a report on the Texas Department of Transportation's
1-27     actions to comply with those standards in connection with each
1-28     project constructed on a public right-of-way containing pedestrian
1-29     facilities funded in whole or part by the Texas Department of
1-30     Transportation during the preceding fiscal year.  This subsection
1-31     expires November 1, 2001.
1-32           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-33     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-34     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-35     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-36     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
1-37     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
1-38     passage, and it is so enacted.
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