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.