By Raymond                                            H.B. No. 3551
         Line and page numbers may not match official copy.
         Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E.
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to inspection of commercial vehicles from across the
 1-3     border.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1. Section 201.613, Transportation Code, is amended
 1-6     to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 201.613.  [ONE-STOP] BORDER INSPECTION FACILITIES
 1-8     [STATIONS].  (a)  The department shall erect and maintain eight
 1-9     border [choose a location for an] inspection facilities not farther
1-10     than 60 miles from the Rio Grande [station along a major highway at
1-11     or near a border crossing from Mexico] in the Pharr [Brownsville],
1-12     [in] Laredo, and [in] El Paso districts for the inspection of motor
1-13     vehicles after the vehicles have been inspected for compliance with
1-14     federal regulations [so that all federal, state, and municipal
1-15     agencies that regulate the passage of persons or vehicles across
1-16     the border at that border crossing may be located in one place].
1-17           (b)  If a facility is to be located in a municipality or a
1-18     municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction, the municipality may
1-19     choose the location of the facility [The department shall establish
1-20     and maintain an inspection station at the locations chosen in
1-21     Subsection (a) only if the federal agencies involved in the
1-22     regulation of the passage of persons or vehicles at that border
1-23     crossing agree to the design of the facility at each location and
 2-1     agree to use the facility at each location if built].
 2-2           (c)  The department shall begin construction of the
 2-3     facilities at or about the same time and shall take reasonable
 2-4     steps to ensure that construction of the facilities progresses
 2-5     equally [The department may enter into agreements with federal,
 2-6     state, and municipal agencies to accomplish the purpose of this
 2-7     section.  An agreement may involve the lease of office space at the
 2-8     inspection station by the department to the agency].
 2-9           (d)  Implementation of subsections (a) through (c) is
2-10     suspended if the appropriate agencies that inspect commercial motor
2-11     vehicles entering this state from the United Mexican States and the
2-12     officials of the appropriate agencies in the United Mexican States
2-13     agree to implement a program under which commercial motor vehicles
2-14     are inspected by those state agencies before those vehicles enter
2-15     this state.  The period of suspension continues as long as such a
2-16     program is in effect.
2-17           (e)  The appropriate state agencies shall initiate efforts to
2-18     develop a program under subsection (d) with the agencies'
2-19     counterparts in the United Mexican States as soon as is practicable
2-20     after the effective date of this act.
2-21           SECTION 2. The Texas Department of Transportation shall spend
2-22     the money appropriated during the 76th Legislature for Section
2-23     201.613, Transportation Code, as added by Chapter 1527, Acts of the
2-24     76th Legislature, Regular Session, 1999, or money received from the
2-25     federal government to establish the border inspection facilities
2-26     under Section 201.613, Transportation Code, as amended by this Act.
 3-1           SECTION 3.  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.