S.B. 716 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS S.B. 716 By: Lindsay Transportation Committee Report (Amended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE SB716 78(R)SB716 78(R)Current law allowing certain eligible counties to construct and maintain toll roads are not clear as to whether such projects may include a toll road project located entirely outside of the eligible county's borders. S.B. 716 amends Chapter 284 of the Transportation Code to clearly allow eligible counties to construct, operate, and maintain a toll road project that is located exclusively in adjacent counties, provided that the action has been approved by the adjacent county's commissioner's court. In addition, S.B. 716 adds certain counties bordering Mexico as counties to which Chapter 284 applies. 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 SECTION 1. Amends Section 284.002 to include in applicable counties those that border the United Mexican States. SECTION 2. Amends Section 284.003, Transportation Code, by creating Subdivisions (1)(A) and (1)(B) from existing text and adding Subdivision (1)(C) to authorize a county to construct, acquire, improve, operate, maintain, or pool a project located in one or more counties adjacent to the county. SECTION 3. Amends Section 284.067(d), Transportation Code, to make a conforming change. SECTION 4. Effective date EFFECTIVE DATE Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2003. EXPLANATION OF AMENDMENTS Committee Amendment No. 1 added (e) to 284.067 which allows 0.2% of the fund to be split between the GLO and the Permanent School Fund. The GLO's portion shall be used to acquire real property to be maintained in its natural state within the county of the project. Committee Amendment No. 2 added subsection (4) to 284.003 to insure that any bridge that was constructed did not impede maritime transportation.