BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

                                                                                                                                           H.B. 1986

                                                                                                                                      By: Solomons

                                                                                                                                     Transportation

                                                                                                       Committee Report (Unamended)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

The 77th Session of the Texas Legislature passed HB 3323 by Solomons that authorizes the creation of a coordinated County Transportation Authority.  A county adjacent to a county with a population of one million or more may form a coordinated transportation authority.  The County of Denton has formed such an authority to assist in the regional provision of mass transportation and transportation-related options.  HB 1986 relates to the organization administration powers of the coordinated county transportation authority

 

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 224.154(b) permits the Texas Department of Transportation to enter into an agreement with a county coordinated transportation authority for the same purposes currently permitted by agreement with a metropolitan rapid transit authority, regional transportation authority, municipal transit department, or regional tollway authority. 

 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 460.054 Transportation Code to permit the county judge to fill a vacancy of an unexpired term where the vacancy is for an individual representing small cities as defined in Section 460.054(b)(3).

 

SECTION 3.  Amends Section 460.105(a) to permit a transportation project to extend out of the county a service area if it provides a benefit to the service area of the coordinated county transportation authority,

 

SECTION 4.  Amends Section 460.201(c) Transportation Code to change Executive Committee to Board of Directors and conform the vacancy authority to the change made in Section 2 of HB 1986.

 

SECTION 5.  Adds a new Section 460.2015 that permits the Board of Directors of an authority confirmed under Subchapter (B) to incrementally increase threshold population amounts required for a board position identified in  by Section 460.054(b)(3); further, the increase may only occur once a year and all entities represented under Section 460.054(b)(1) before the effective date will not be affected. 

 

SECTION 6.  Amends Section 460.405(a) Transportation Code to provide that Federal and appropriated state funds may not be spent on behalf of the Authority to influence or affect the outcome of a state or federal contract, loan or cooperative agreement.

 

SECTION 7.  Amends Section 460.502 Transportation Code to distinguish between the issuance of general obligation and revenue bonds .  Section (e) is added to specify the encumbrances that are permitted to secure revenue bonds under this Section.

 

SECTION 8.  Effective date.  September 1, 2005.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2005. 

 

 

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

September 1, 2005.