By:  Cain                                              S.B. No. 537
         99S0367/1                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                       AN ACT
 1-1     relating to agreements between the Texas Transportation Commission
 1-2     and the Texas Department of Transportation and regional tollway
 1-3     authorities and to the authority of regional tollway authorities to
 1-4     set prima facie speed limits on the authorities' turnpike projects.
 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-6           SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 201, Transportation Code,
 1-7     is amended by adding Section 201.113 to read as follows:
 1-8           Sec. 201.113.  AGREEMENTS WITH REGIONAL TOLLWAY AUTHORITIES.
 1-9     (a)  Notwithstanding Sections 221.003 and 224.031, the commission
1-10     and a regional tollway authority governed by Chapter 366 may enter
1-11     into an agreement for the improvement by a regional tollway
1-12     authority of portions of the state highway system.
1-13           (b)  In this section, "improvement" means construction,
1-14     reconstruction, maintenance, and the making of a necessary plan or
1-15     survey before beginning construction, reconstruction, or
1-16     maintenance and includes a project or activity appurtenant to a
1-17     state highway, including drainage facilities, surveying, traffic
1-18     counts, driveways, landscaping, lights, or guardrails.
1-19           SECTION 2.  Subchapter I, Chapter 201, Transportation Code,
1-20     is amended by adding Section 201.707 to read as follows:
1-21           Sec. 201.707.  AGREEMENTS FOR SERVICES ON REGIONAL TOLLWAY
1-22     AUTHORITY PROJECTS.  Notwithstanding Section 201.703(c), the
1-23     department and a regional tollway authority governed by Chapter
1-24     366, may enter into an agreement under which the department will
 2-1     provide, for fair and reasonable compensation, services on the
 2-2     regional tollway authority's turnpike projects, including but not
 2-3     limited to courtesy patrols.
 2-4           SECTION 3.  The section heading and Subsection (a), Section
 2-5     545.354, Transportation Code, is amended to read as follows:
 2-6           Sec. 545.354.  AUTHORITY OF TEXAS TURNPIKE AUTHORITY AND
 2-7     REGIONAL TOLLWAY AUTHORITIES TO ALTER SPEED LIMITS ON TURNPIKE
 2-8     PROJECTS.  (a)(1)  In this section, "authority" means the Texas
 2-9     Turnpike Authority or a regional tollway authority governed by
2-10     Chapter 366.
2-11                 (2)  If an authority [the Texas Turnpike Authority]
2-12     determines from the results of an engineering and traffic
2-13     investigation that a prima facie speed limit described in this
2-14     subchapter is unreasonable or unsafe on a part of a turnpike
2-15     constructed and maintained by the authority, the authority by order
2-16     recorded in its minutes shall determine and declare a reasonable
2-17     and safe prima facie speed limit for vehicles or classes of
2-18     vehicles on the turnpike.
2-19           SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-20           SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-21     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-22     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-23     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-24     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.