1-1     By:  Lucio                                            S.B. No. 1515
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 9, 2001; March 14, 2001, read
 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on Finance; April 24, 2001,
 1-4     reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 11, Nays 0;
 1-5     April 24, 2001, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to the acquisition of vehicles by the Texas Department of
 1-9     Transportation.
1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11           SECTION 1.  Subchapter I, Chapter 201, Transportation Code,
1-12     is amended by adding Section 201.7055 to read as follows:
1-13           Sec. 201.7055.  ACQUISITION OF DEPARTMENT VEHICLES.  (a)  As
1-14     an alternative to purchasing a vehicle, the department may acquire
1-15     a vehicle for the department's use through a lease, including a
1-16     standard lease, a lease with an option to purchase, and a purchase
1-17     buy-back program.
1-18           (b)  The amount spent on vehicle acquisitions using the
1-19     methods authorized in Subsection (a) in a fiscal year may not
1-20     exceed 5 percent of the amount spent on all vehicle acquisitions by
1-21     the department in the previous fiscal year without the approval of
1-22     the governor and the Legislative Budget Board.
1-23           SECTION 2.  The Texas Department of Transportation shall
1-24     study the feasibility of using the acquisition methods authorized
1-25     by Section 201.7055, Transportation Code, as added by this Act, and
1-26     shall file its written findings with the lieutenant governor and
1-27     the speaker of the house of representatives not later than January
1-28     1, 2003.
1-29           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
1-30     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
1-31     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
1-32     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
1-33     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
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