By: Shapleigh, Lucio S.B. No. 246 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to a review of transportation projects related to 1-3 international trade. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subsections (a) and (c), Section 201.608, 1-6 Transportation Code, are amended to read as follows: 1-7 (a) The department annually shall review its proposed road 1-8 projects to determine whether the projects are adequate to allow 1-9 for the projected volume of highway traffic resulting from 1-10 international trade over the five-year period following the date of 1-11 the review. As part of the review, the department, with the 1-12 cooperation of the Center for Transportation Research at The 1-13 University of Texas at Austin and the Texas Transportation 1-14 Institute, shall develop recommendations concerning how state and 1-15 federal highway funds or resources may be used in the department's 1-16 Pharr, Laredo, and El Paso districts to increase international 1-17 trade, including: 1-18 (1) recommendations concerning transportation linkages 1-19 between national and international markets and the area adjacent to 1-20 the border with Mexico, including rural communities in that area; 1-21 (2) strategies to eliminate congestion at 1-22 international border crossings; and 1-23 (3) revisions to the department's funding formulas to 1-24 increase funding to the department's Pharr, Laredo, and El Paso 1-25 districts to: 2-1 (A) permanently increase and facilitate planning 2-2 and capacity and improve traffic infrastructure in those districts; 2-3 (B) increase trade; 2-4 (C) expedite the flow of commercial motor 2-5 vehicle traffic related to the North American Free Trade Agreement; 2-6 and 2-7 (D) reflect and address the damage caused by 2-8 that traffic. 2-9 (c) Not later than February 1 of each odd-numbered year, the 2-10 department shall report to the legislature on: 2-11 (1) the ability of the state highway system to allow 2-12 for the projected volume of highway traffic resulting from 2-13 international trade over the five-year period following the date of 2-14 the report; and 2-15 (2) the recommendations developed under Subsection 2-16 (a). 2-17 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.