S.B. 249 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS S.B. 249 By: Janek Transportation Committee Report (Amended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE S.B. 249 78(R) Currently, there is no procedure for allowing certain vehicles priority in boarding the Galveston- Port Bolivar ferry. The Bolivar Peninsula has seen an increase in tourist traffic and prolonged waiting periods for passage onto the Bolivar ferry. S.B. 249 allows priority boarding on the ferry to and from the Bolivar Peninsula for the owner of a motor vehicle who obtains a ferry sticker. Vehicles with the required sticker will be given priority in boarding the ferry only until the ferry reaches 50 percent of its vehicle capacity. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Department of Transportation in SECTION 1(Section 342.004, Transportation Code) of this bill. ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 342A, Transportation Code, by adding Section 342.004, as follows: Sec. 342.004. GALVESTON-PORT BOLIVAR FERRY VEHICLE STICKER. (a) Authorizes the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to adopt rules to establish a system under which an owner of a motor vehicle registered under Chapter 502 (Registration of Vehicles) applies for a vehicle sticker from TxDot that entitles the vehicle to have priority in boarding the Galveston-Port Bolivar ferry. (b) Requires any rules adopted under this section to address certain items regarding the vehicle sticker. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2003 EXPLANATION OF AMENDMENTS Committee Amendment No. 1 ensures that the fee collected under this section shall be deposited to the credit of the state highway fund.