SRC-JBJ S.B. 1519 77(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 1519
77R6659 DWS-DBy: Lucio
State Affairs
4/5/2001
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Currently, the Texas Department of Transportation (department) experiences
some difficulty recruiting and retaining engineering staff and the Texas
Transportation Commission is limited by the provision in state law that
requires the selection of an executive director for the department who is a
registered professional engineer.  As proposed, S.B. 1519 eliminates the
requirement that the executive director of the department be a registered
professional engineer in Texas and allows the department to hire engineers
and engineering technicians without posting job openings or competitive
selection of job applicants. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a
state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 201.301(a), Transportation Code, to delete
existing text requiring the executive director of the Texas Department of
Transportation to be a registered professional engineer. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Chapter 201F, Transportation Code, by adding Section
201.407, as follows: 

Sec. 201.407.  HIRING OF ENGINEERING PERSONNEL.  Requires the Texas
Department of Transportation (department) to take necessary action to
accelerate the employment of necessary engineers and engineering
technicians.  Provides that a law requiring posting of job openings or
competitive selection of job applicants does not apply to those positions,
regardless of the salary applicable to the position. 

SECTION 3.  Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2001.