C.S.H.B. 3554 78(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


C.S.H.B. 3554
By: Raymond
Transportation
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

HB 3554 78(R)Currently the Texas Department of Transportation is in the
process of building eight inspection stations and may choose a site for a
border inspection station without consultation or approval from the
affected municipality.  Cities with large commercial border crossing
traffic are concerned that if the inspection station location is not
carefully chosen to minimize traffic delay and congestion,  unsafe traffic
patterns and increased pollution will result.  CSHB 3554 allows cities
that had at least 900,000 commercial border crossings in state fiscal year
ending August 31, 2002 to direct where the inspection station will be
located if the station is to be located inside the city limits or the
city's extraterritorial jurisdiction. 


RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

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

ANALYSIS

The bill directs the Texas Department of Transportation to build eight
inspection stations to inspect vehicles entering the United States from
Mexico.  The stations shall be built within sixty miles of the Rio Grande.
If the Department chooses to locate the inspection station inside a
municipality or a municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction, and the
municipality has a bridge system that had over 900,000 commercial border
crossings in state fiscal year ending August 31, 2002, the municipality
may choose the location of the inspection station.  The municipality must
choose the location within 180 days of a request by the Department to do
so.  The Department shall begin construction of the inspection stations at
or about the same time and shall take reasonable steps to ensure that the
construction of the facilities progresses equally. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

Upon passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2003. 
COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE
The substitute is a Texas Legislative Council clean up draft that makes
conforming changes and also changes the number of commercial border
crossings from 500,000 per year to 900,000 during the state fiscal year
ending August 31, 2002.