HBA-NRS H.B. 2616 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2616 By: Solis, Jim Transportation 7/18/2001 Enrolled BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The Queen Isabella Causeway is the only route from mainland Texas to South Padre Island. A second causeway was proposed and funding proposals were made which called for each causeway to include a toll facility. Tolling both causeways would have primarily impacted those who commute to work to either South Padre Island or from the island to the surrounding area of mainland Texas. House Bill 2616 prohibits the Texas Transportation Commission from converting to a turnpike project or transferring to a regional tollway authority the Queen Isabella Causeway in Cameron County. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House Bill 2616 amends the Transportation Code to prohibit the Texas Transportation Commission from converting the Queen Isabella Causeway in Cameron County from a free state highway to a turnpike project and from transferring the Queen Isabella Causeway to a regional tollway authority. EFFECTIVE DATE June 16, 2001.