SRC-JEC S.B. 1025 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center S.B. 1025 By: Lucio Infrastructure Development and Security 4/16/2003 As Filed DIGEST AND PURPOSE Currently, the Texas Department of Economic Development and the Texas Department of Transportation both participate in projects and funding relating to ports. There is some duplication of effort, and some contend that the interests of the state and ports would be better served if port funding were integrated more closely with the rest of the state's transportation infrastructure. As proposed, S.B. 1025 provides for the funding of port transportation, port facility projects, and port studies, including port security projects, within the Texas Department of Transportation. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Port Transportation and Economic Development Advisory Committee in SECTION 6 (Section 55.007, Transportation Code) of this bill. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends the heading to Chapter 55, Transportation Code, to read as follows: CHAPTER 55. TEXAS PORT SECURITY, TRANSPORTATION, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUNDING SECTION 2. Amends Subdivision (2), Section 55.001, Transportation Code, to provide that "department" means the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), rather than the Texas Department of Economic Development. SECTION 3. Amends Subsections (a) and (b), Section 55.002, Transportation Code, as follows: (a) Requires TxDOT, using only money in the port access account fund, to fund port security projects. Makes nonsubstantive changes. (b) Prohibits TxDOT from funding a port security, transportation, or facility project unless a certain amount is invested in a project by a port authority or navigation district. SECTION 4. Amends Subsection (b), Section 55.005, Transportation Code, to require money appropriated by the legislature for the implementation of this chapter to be credited to the port access account fund. Makes nonsubstantive changes. SECTION 5. Amends Section 55.006, Transportation Code, as follows: (a) Provides that the Texas Port Transportation and Economic Development Advisory Committee (TPTEDAC) consists of one member of the governing body of each of nine of the corporate member ports, rather than each of the ports that are members, of the Texas Ports Association, under the rotation system of membership provided by Subsection (b). (b) Provides that four of the nine voting committee positions will automatically change on January 1 of each year under an alphabetically based rotation system. Provides that initially, the first nine Texas Ports Association ports in alphabetical order, beginning with Beaumont, will have positions on the committee. Provides that on January 1, 2005, and each January 1, thereafter, the next four ports in alphabetical order will rotate onto the committee and the four ports earliest in order of rotation then represented on the committee will rotate off. Redesignates text of former Subsections (b) - (e) as (c) - (f). SECTION 6. Amends Section 55.007, Transportation Code, to require TPTEDAC to adopt rules for evaluating projects that may be funded under this chapter, providing criteria for the evaluation of the economic benefit of the project, measured by the potential for the proposed project to increase port security. Makes nonsubstantive changes. SECTION 7. Amends Subsection (a), Section 55.008, Transportation Code, to provide that the port capital program prepared by TPTEDAC must include recommendations for the efficient, cost-effective development of transportation facilities or port facilities for the purpose of improving port security. Makes nonsubstantive changes. SECTION 8. (a) Abolishes the five voting positions on the TPTEDAC not included in the initial formation of TPTEDAC as reorganized under Section 55.006, Transportation Code, as amended by this Act, on September 1, 2003. (b) Requires TxDOT, before January 1, 2004, to convene the initial meeting of the TPTEDAC, as reorganized under Section 55.006, Transportation Code, as amended by this Act. SECTION 9. Effective date: September 1, 2003.