BILL ANALYSIS
By: Bohac
Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
U.S. Highway 290 is an east-west highway entirely in Texas. It has a current western terminus on Interstate 10 at milepost 477 to the east of Junction and its eastern terminus on Interstate 610 on the northwest side of Houston. The large remnant of US 290 continues to be an important highway, connecting Austin to and from Interstate 10 and eastward to Houston. Parts of US 290 in Austin and near Houston are freeway.
CSHB 540 would designate the portion of U.S. Highway 290 inside Harris County as the Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway. In the past, other sections of US 290 have been given designations by the legislature, such as the 10th Mountain Division Memorial Highway, the Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway and the Presidential Corridor.
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
CSHB 540 amends Chapter 225 of the Transportation Code by adding Section 225.059 which designates the portion of U.S. Highway 290 inside Harris County as the Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway. The bill directs the Texas Department of Transportation to design and construct memorial markers indicating the highway number, the designation as the Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway, and any other appropriate information. The bill also directs the department to erect a marker at each end of the highway and at appropriate intermediate sites along the highway. The bill specifies that private funds and donations will be used to cover the costs incurred by the Texas Department of Transportation in designing, constructing, and erecting the signage.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2005.
COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE
The substitute requires that TxDOT receive private donations or grants to cover the costs incurred with the design, construction, and erection of the signage for the Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway. The original legislation did not make that requirement.