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.