C.S.H.B. 3294 78(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


C.S.H.B. 3294
By: Chavez
Border and International Affairs
Committee Report (Substituted)


BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Currently, the Texas Transportation Commission consists of three members
and must include a member from a rural area. Since the passage of the
North American Free Trade Agreement and the subsequent increase in traffic
along the Texas-Mexico border, the transportation infrastructure needs of
the Texas-Mexico border region have increased greatly. The appointment of
members from different regions of the state might assist the commission in
better addressing the transportation infrastructure needs of the different
regions of Texas. A commission of three members, however, might not be
representative of the different infrastructure needs in the various
regions of the state. C.S.H.B. 3294 would expand the size of the Texas
Transportation Commission to five members and require that the members be
appointed from different regions of the state. 


RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any
additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution,
department or agency. 


ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. C.S.H.B. 3294 amends the Transportation Code to provide that
the Texas Transportation Commission (commission) consists of five, rather
than three, members appointed by the governor with the advice and consent
of the senate. C.S.H.B. 3294 provides that the members of the commission
must be appointed from different regions of the state, and removes the
provision that one member must reside in a rural area. 

SECTION 2. C.S.H.B. 3294 amends the Transportation Code to provide that
the terms of either one or two members, rather than one member's term,
expire February 1 of each odd-numbered year. 

SECTION 3. C.S.H.B. 3294 requires the governor to appoint two additional
members to the commission promptly after the passage of this Act and
provides for the designation of the length of their terms.  

SECTION 4.  C.S.H.B. 3294 provides that the changes in the qualifications
of the members do not effect the entitlement of a member to carry out the
commission's function for the remainder of the term. 

SECTION 5. Effective Date.


EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2003.


COMPARISON TO ORIGINAL

The substitute amends the original by providing that the members of the
commission must be appointed from different regions of the state, rather
than providing that one member must reside in  a rural area and one member
must reside in the Texas Mexico Border Region.  The substitute also
clarifies that the changes in the qualifications of the members do not
effect the entitlement of a member to carry out the commission's function
for the remainder of the term. The substitute makes other non-substantive
technical changes.