SRC-LBB, VRA S.B. 139 78(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 139
78R941 DWS-DBy: Lucio
Infrastructure Development & Security
4/1/2003
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

The Queen Isabella Causeway collapsed on September 14, 2001, when it was
hit by four barges. Eight people died as a result of the collapse.  As
proposed, S.B. 139 honors those who lost their lives, those who survived
the tragedy, and those who assisted in the rescue by renaming the bridge
as the Queen Isabella Memorial Bridge. 

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 Chapter 225B, Transportation Code, by adding Section
225.057, as follows: 

Sec.  225.057.  QUEEN ISABELLA MEMORIAL BRIDGE.  (a)  Provides that the
structure connecting State Highway 100 and Park Road 100 between the
eastern municipal boundary of Port Isabel and the western boundary of
Padre Island is designated as the Queen Isabella Memorial Bridge as a
memorial to Julio Mireles Gonzalez, Robert Harris, Gaspar Saenz Hinojosa,
Robin Leavell, Hector Martinez, Jr., Stvan Francisco Rivas, Barry Welch,
and Chealsa Welch. 

(b)  Requires the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to design and
construct memorial markers indicating the designation as the Queen
Isabella Memorial Bridge and any other appropriate information. 

(c)  Requires TxDOT to erect a marker at each end of the structure and at
any appropriate intermediate sites along the structure. 

(d)  Provides that in this section, a reference to a Port Isabel municipal
boundary means that boundary as it exists on January 1, 2003. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date:  upon passage or September 1, 2003.