S.B. 409 78(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


S.B. 409
By: Lucio
Border and International Affairs
Committee Report (Unamended)



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. S.B. 409 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. S.B. 409 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. S.B. 409 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. S.B. 409 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. S.B. 409 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.  Effective Date.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2003.