BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center H.B. 1815
79R1644 DWS-D By: Krusee et al. (Barrientos)
AUTHOR'S/SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
The Capital Metropolitan Transit Authority (Capital Metro) is a public transit agency serving most of Travis County and part of Williamson County. Several years ago, Capital Metro's board was the subject of a number of unflattering newspaper stories, and some members of the community lost confidence in the agency. The legislature addressed the situation by passing a bill to reorganize the Capital Metro board in 1997. This reorganization included placing local elected officials on the board to increase accountability.
Since the reorganization, Capital Metro's performance has improved considerably and public trust has been restored. Indeed, just this past fall, local voters authorized Capital Metro to begin work on Central Texas' first commuter rail line. Unfortunately, at this critical juncture, a large number of the board's members will be leaving the board due to a term-limit provision in the reorganization bill which states that a Capital Metro board member may not serve more than eight years.
As proposed, H.B. 1852 repeals the existing term-limit provisions applicable to the board of Capital Metro in order to provide for continuity on the board as it implements the directive of the voters, and in recognition of the fact that board members are already effectively term-limited by operation of other laws such as the city charter, as well as by elections.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Sections 451.506(b) and (c), Transportation Code, as follows:
(b) Deletes existing text making this subsection [regarding term limits] applicable to the board members of certain rapid transit authorities.
(c) Provides that this subsection [regarding term limits for the transit board's presiding officer] does not apply to an individual serving on the board of an authority confirmed before July 1, 1985, and in which the principal municipality has a population of less than 750,000.
SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2005.