1-1     By:  Cain                                              S.B. No. 537
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed February 16, 1999; February 17, 1999,
 1-3     read first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs;
 1-4     March 8, 1999, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
 1-5     Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 7, Nays 0; March 8, 1999,
 1-6     sent to printer.)
 1-7     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 537                     By:  Cain
 1-8                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-9                                   AN ACT
1-10     relating to agreements by and the authority of regional tollway
1-11     authorities.
1-12           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-13           SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 201, Transportation Code,
1-14     is amended by adding Section 201.113 to read as follows:
1-15           Sec. 201.113.  AGREEMENTS WITH REGIONAL TOLLWAY AUTHORITIES.
1-16     (a)  Notwithstanding Sections 221.003 and 224.031, the commission
1-17     and a regional tollway authority governed by Chapter 366 may enter
1-18     into an agreement for the improvement by a regional tollway
1-19     authority of portions of the state highway system.
1-20           (b)  In this section, "improvement" means construction,
1-21     reconstruction, maintenance, and the making of a necessary plan or
1-22     survey before beginning construction, reconstruction, or
1-23     maintenance and includes a project or activity appurtenant to a
1-24     state highway, including drainage facilities, surveying, traffic
1-25     counts, driveways, landscaping, lights, or guardrails.
1-26           SECTION 2.  Subchapter I, Chapter 201, Transportation Code,
1-27     is amended by adding Section 201.707 to read as follows:
1-28           Sec. 201.707.  AGREEMENTS FOR SERVICES ON REGIONAL TOLLWAY
1-29     AUTHORITY PROJECTS.  Notwithstanding Section 201.703(c), the
1-30     department and a regional tollway authority governed by Chapter 366
1-31     may enter into an agreement for the provision by the department,
1-32     for fair and reasonable compensation, of services on the regional
1-33     tollway authority's turnpike projects, including but not limited to
1-34     courtesy patrols.
1-35           SECTION 3.  The section heading and Subsection (a), Section
1-36     545.354, Transportation Code, are amended to read as follows:
1-37           Sec. 545.354.  AUTHORITY OF TEXAS TURNPIKE AUTHORITY AND
1-38     REGIONAL TOLLWAY AUTHORITIES TO ALTER SPEED LIMITS ON TURNPIKE
1-39     PROJECTS.  (a)(1)  In this section, "authority" means the Texas
1-40     Turnpike Authority or a regional tollway authority governed by
1-41     Chapter 366.
1-42                 (2)  If an authority [the Texas Turnpike Authority]
1-43     determines from the results of an engineering and traffic
1-44     investigation that a prima facie speed limit described in this
1-45     subchapter is unreasonable or unsafe on a part of a turnpike
1-46     constructed and maintained by the authority, the authority by order
1-47     recorded in its minutes shall determine and declare a reasonable
1-48     and safe prima facie speed limit for vehicles or classes of
1-49     vehicles on the turnpike.
1-50           SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-51           SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-52     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-53     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-54     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-55     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
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