By:  Cain                                              S.B. No. 537
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                       AN ACT
 1-1     relating to agreements by and the authority of regional tollway
 1-2     authorities.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 201, Transportation Code,
 1-5     is amended by adding Section 201.113 to read as follows:
 1-6           Sec. 201.113.  AGREEMENTS WITH REGIONAL TOLLWAY AUTHORITIES.
 1-7     (a)  Notwithstanding Sections 221.003 and 224.031, the commission
 1-8     and a regional tollway authority governed by Chapter 366 may enter
 1-9     into an agreement for the improvement by a regional tollway
1-10     authority of portions of the state highway system.
1-11           (b)  In this section, "improvement" means construction,
1-12     reconstruction, maintenance, and the making of a necessary plan or
1-13     survey before beginning construction, reconstruction, or
1-14     maintenance and includes a project or activity appurtenant to a
1-15     state highway, including drainage facilities, surveying, traffic
1-16     counts, driveways, landscaping, lights, or guardrails.
1-17           SECTION 2.  Subchapter I, Chapter 201, Transportation Code,
1-18     is amended by adding Section 201.707 to read as follows:
1-19           Sec. 201.707.  AGREEMENTS FOR SERVICES ON REGIONAL TOLLWAY
1-20     AUTHORITY PROJECTS.  Notwithstanding Section 201.703(c), the
1-21     department and a regional tollway authority governed by Chapter 366
1-22     may enter into an agreement for the provision by the department,
1-23     for fair and reasonable compensation, of services on the regional
1-24     tollway authority's turnpike projects, including but not limited to
 2-1     courtesy patrols.
 2-2           SECTION 3.  The section heading and Subsection (a), Section
 2-3     545.354, Transportation Code, are amended to read as follows:
 2-4           Sec. 545.354.  AUTHORITY OF TEXAS TURNPIKE AUTHORITY AND
 2-5     REGIONAL TOLLWAY AUTHORITIES TO ALTER SPEED LIMITS ON TURNPIKE
 2-6     PROJECTS.  (a)(1)  In this section, "authority" means the Texas
 2-7     Turnpike Authority or a regional tollway authority governed by
 2-8     Chapter 366.
 2-9                 (2)  If an authority [the Texas Turnpike Authority]
2-10     determines from the results of an engineering and traffic
2-11     investigation that a prima facie speed limit described in this
2-12     subchapter is unreasonable or unsafe on a part of a turnpike
2-13     constructed and maintained by the authority, the authority by order
2-14     recorded in its minutes shall determine and declare a reasonable
2-15     and safe prima facie speed limit for vehicles or classes of
2-16     vehicles on the turnpike.
2-17           SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-18           SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-19     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-20     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-21     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-22     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.