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. 1-39 * * * * *