LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session May 15, 2001 TO: Honorable Clyde Alexander, Chair, House Committee on Transportation FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board IN RE: SB246 by Shapleigh (Relating to a review of transportation projects related to international trade.), As Engrossed ************************************************************************** * Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for * * SB246, As Engrossed: positive impact of $0 through the biennium * * ending August 31, 2003. * * * * The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal * * basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of * * the bill. * ************************************************************************** General Revenue-Related Funds, Five-Year Impact: **************************************************** * Fiscal Year Probable Net Positive/(Negative) * * Impact to General Revenue Related * * Funds * * 2002 $0 * * 2003 0 * * 2004 0 * * 2005 0 * * 2006 0 * **************************************************** All Funds, Five-Year Impact: ***************************************************** * Fiscal Year Probable Savings/(Cost) from State * * Highway Fund * * 0006 * * 2002 $(500,000) * * 2003 0 * * 2004 0 * * 2005 0 * * 2006 0 * ***************************************************** Fiscal Analysis The bill would amend the Transportation Code to require the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to include in its annual review of projects, the development of recommendations concerning how state and federal highway funds or resources may be used in TxDOT's Pharr, Laredo, and El Paso districts to increase international trade. The bill would require TxDOT to make recommendations concerning transportation linkages between national markets, international markets, and the area adjacent to the border with Mexico; strategies to eliminate congestion at border crossings; and revisions to the department's funding formulas to increase funding to the department's Pharr, Laredo and El Paso districts for the purposes of permanently increasing and facilitating planning and capacity, improving traffic infrastructure in those districts, increasing trade, expediting the flow of commercial motor vehicle traffic related to the North American Free Trade Agreement, and reflect and address the damage caused by that traffic. The bill would require TxDOT to cooperate with the Center for Transportation Research (CTR) at the University of Texas at Austin and the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) to develop the recommendations and report them to the Legislature no later than February 1, of each odd-numbered year. The bill would take effect September 1, 2001. Methodology TxDOT estimates that implementing the provisions of the bill would require contracts to be established with CTR and TTI in an amount of $250,000 per entity during the first year and that updates would continually be made to the study every other year beginning in fiscal year 2004. Local Government Impact No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated. Source Agencies: 601 Texas Department of Transportation LBB Staff: JK, JO, RT, MW