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.