1-1     By:  Shapleigh                                         S.C.R. No. 7
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed January 11, 2001; January 16, 2001,
 1-3     read first time and referred to Committee on Business and Commerce;
 1-4     March 29, 2001, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 5,
 1-5     Nays 0; March 29, 2001, sent to printer.)
 1-6                        SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
 1-7           WHEREAS, The governments of Texas and Mexico are facing a
 1-8     serious challenge in reducing the costly delays of commercial
 1-9     vehicle congestion occurring at international border crossings as a
1-10     result of record-breaking trade activity under the North American
1-11     Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA); and
1-12           WHEREAS, Because of the mutual benefits derived from this
1-13     international trade, there is a need for a cooperative approach to
1-14     alleviating such delays on both sides of the border and thus
1-15     expediting commercial traffic, and the development of technology
1-16     represents one of the most feasible and promising avenues for a
1-17     joint venture in this regard; and
1-18           WHEREAS, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)
1-19     technologies are now being used at border crossings on the north
1-20     side of the Rio Grande to automate the regulatory processes that
1-21     govern trade under NAFTA, such as vehicle, driver, and cargo
1-22     certification requirements; and
1-23           WHEREAS, The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is
1-24     guiding the implementation of ITS technology to screen this data
1-25     electronically as trucks approach border checkpoints, thus
1-26     eliminating the need to halt the flow of trans-border commerce and
1-27     reducing the miles  of idling, gas-guzzling, freight-bearing trucks
1-28     waiting to be inspected by border officials; and
1-29           WHEREAS, ITS technologies have been successfully demonstrated
1-30     under the Texas Regional International Border Crossing (TRIBEX)
1-31     operational test; the TRIBEX system was implemented in 1998 at the
1-32     Ysleta-Zaragosa Bridge between El Paso, Texas, and Juarez, Mexico,
1-33     and at the Columbia-Solidarity and Lincoln-Juarez bridges between
1-34     Laredo, Texas, and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico; and
1-35           WHEREAS, The TRIBEX system uses weigh-in motion technology,
1-36     other electronic sensors, and communications equipment to support
1-37     an initiative called the North American Trade Automation Prototype
1-38     (NATAP); the system electronically collects vehicle and cargo data
1-39     and transmits the data to officers of the Texas Department of
1-40     Public Safety and United States Customs officials, who then inform
1-41     truck drivers whether to continue or stop for an inspection; and
1-42           WHEREAS, NAFTA provisions require participating countries to
1-43     cooperate in efforts to standardize data elements, set an
1-44     international data syntax, facilitate the exchange of information,
1-45     and generally harmonize customs processes; and
1-46           WHEREAS, The concept of a "seamless" border crossing to
1-47     expedite the processing of commercial vehicles and people can only
1-48     be realized through the binational planning of infrastructure
1-49     projects that complement the coordinated use of ITS technologies;
1-50     and
1-51           WHEREAS, The creation of a complementary ITS environment on
1-52     both sides of the border is an imperative that also addresses the
1-53     issue of road safety for Texas and the nation because Mexican
1-54     trucks, which will soon have access to travel beyond the border
1-55     region, are far too heavy for our roads to support; and
1-56           WHEREAS, Based on its leadership role in formulating
1-57     strategies to develop and implement ITS projects, TxDOT has
1-58     acquired the qualifications to work with the Mexican government and
1-59     the Mexican business sector to establish complementary technologies
1-60     for their respective border clearance stations; now, therefore, be
1-61     it
1-62           RESOLVED, That the 77th Legislature of the State of Texas
1-63     hereby request the Texas Department of Transportation to
1-64     collaborate with Mexico to develop and implement an electronic
 2-1     check and clearance system at border crossings in Mexico using
 2-2     state-of-the-art Intelligent Transportation System technologies,
 2-3     including weigh-in motion technology; and, be it further
 2-4           RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official
 2-5     copy of this resolution to the executive director of the Texas
 2-6     Department of Transportation and to the chair of the Texas
 2-7     Transportation Commission.
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