By Pickett H.B. No. 739
77R2152 MTB-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the membership of the Texas Transportation Commission.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Sections 201.051(a), (b), and (c), Transportation
1-5 Code, are amended to read as follows:
1-6 (a) The Texas Transportation Commission consists of five
1-7 [three] members appointed by the governor with the advice and
1-8 consent of the senate.
1-9 (b) Appointments to the commission shall be made so that
1-10 separate members represent the following areas:
1-11 (1) the West Texas/Central Panhandle area, including
1-12 the districts of Amarillo, Lubbock, Childress, Abilene, Odessa, and
1-13 San Angelo established under Section 201.105;
1-14 (2) the North Texas area, including the districts of
1-15 Wichita Falls, Paris, Fort Worth, Dallas, Tyler, Lufkin, and
1-16 Atlanta established under Section 201.105;
1-17 (3) the Central Texas area, including the districts of
1-18 Brownwood, Waco, Bryan, Austin, and San Antonio established under
1-19 Section 201.105;
1-20 (4) the Gulf area, including the districts of Corpus
1-21 Christi, Yoakum, Houston, and Beaumont established under Section
1-22 201.105; and
1-23 (5) the Border area, including the districts of El
1-24 Paso, Laredo, and Pharr established under Section 201.105 [One
2-1 member must reside in a rural area].
2-2 (c) For the purposes of Subsection (b), reference to a
2-3 district established under Section 201.105 means the district as it
2-4 existed on January 1, 2001 [Each member of the commission must
2-5 represent the general public].
2-6 SECTION 2. Section 201.052, Transportation Code, is amended
2-7 to read as follows:
2-8 Sec. 201.052. TERMS. Members of the commission serve
2-9 staggered six-year terms, with the terms of either one or two
2-10 members [one member's term] expiring February 1 of each
2-11 odd-numbered year.
2-12 SECTION 3. Promptly after this Act takes effect, the
2-13 governor shall appoint two additional members to the Texas
2-14 Transportation Commission. Of those members, the governor shall
2-15 designate one to serve a term expiring February 1, 2005, and one to
2-16 serve a term expiring February 1, 2007.
2-17 SECTION 4. The changes in law made by this Act in the
2-18 qualifications of members of the Texas Transportation Commission do
2-19 not affect the entitlement of a member serving on the commission
2-20 immediately before the effective date of this Act to continue to
2-21 carry out the commission's functions for the remainder of the
2-22 member's term. The changes in law apply only to a member appointed
2-23 on or after the effective date of this Act. This Act does not
2-24 prohibit a person who is a member of the commission on the
2-25 effective date of this Act from being reappointed to the commission
2-26 if the person has the qualifications required for a member under
2-27 Section 201.051, Transportation Code, as amended by this Act.
3-1 SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
3-2 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
3-3 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
3-4 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
3-5 Act takes effect September 1, 2001.