SRC-JBJ S.B. 1519 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research CenterS.B. 1519 77R6659 DWS-DBy: Lucio State Affairs 4/10/2001 Committee Report (Amended) DIGEST AND PURPOSE Currently, the Texas Department of Transportation (department) experiences some difficulty recruiting and retaining engineering staff. S.B. 1519 requires the department to take necessary actions to accelerate the employment of necessary engineers and engineering technicians and allows the department to hire those 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 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 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2001. SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE CHANGES Committee Amendment No. 1. Strikes previously proposed SECTION 1, which amended Section 201.301(a), Transportation Code, and renumbers previously proposed SECTIONS 2 - 3 as SECTIONS 1 - 2.