SRC-TJG S.B. 53 78(1)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 53
By: Ogden
Infrastructure Development and Security
7/15/2003
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Under the provisions of H.B. 3588, passed by the 78th Texas Legislature,
Regular Session, 2003, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is
authorized to combine certain construction projects under a single bond
issuance.  The legislation, also known as the Trans-Texas Corridor Act,
precludes TxDOT from building a transportation corridor that combines
different facilities (e.g., rail and highway) if the corridor project
extends beyond one municipal planning organization and two adjacent
districts and is financed as one project. 

S.B. 53 allows TxDOT to build a transportation corridor, of any length,
that has two or more different facilities without triggering system
financing restrictions if the project is continuous. The bill also exempts
a project from statutory geographic limitations for system financing if
the project is within one comprehensive development agreement.   

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to
a state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 227.014(a), Transportation Code, to authorize a
system to only include facilities included in a comprehensive
transportation corridor developed under a comprehensive development
agreement or facilities located wholly or partly within a territory of a
metropolitan planning organization or two adjacent districts.  Provides
that this section does not prohibit the Texas Department of Transportation
(TxDOT)from creating a system that includes a facility that will extend
continuously through the territory of two or more metropolitan planning
organizations or more than two adjacent TxDOT districts.  Makes conforming
and nonsubstantive changes. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 227.023(c), Transportation Code, to authorize
TxDOT, to the extent and in the manner that TxDOT may enter into
comprehensive development agreements under Chapter 361 with regard to
turnpikes, to enter into a comprehensive development agreement under this
chapter that provides for the financing, development, design,
construction, or operation of a facility or a combination of facilities on
the Trans-Texas Corridor.  Makes nonsubstantive changes. 

SECTION 3.  Effective date: immediately if it receives a vote of
two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by
Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution, or November 1, 2003.