By: Zaffirini, Lucio S.B. No. 569
Hinojosa, Shapleigh
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to meetings between representatives of the Texas
Department of Transportation and Mexican states on transportation
and truck inspection issues.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 201.207, Transportation Code, is amended
to read as follows:
Sec. 201.207. CROSS-BORDER TRANSPORTATION AND
INFRASTRUCTURE MEETINGS. (a) The department shall [initiate
efforts to] meet at least quarterly [semiannually] with the
department's counterparts in those states of the United Mexican
States that border this state to discuss issues relating to truck
inspections and transportation and infrastructure involved in
truck inspections and transportation [issues. To the extent
practicable, the department shall meet at least semiannually with
its counterparts in those bordering states to discuss
transportation and infrastructure issues].
(b) To assist the department in carrying out this section,
the department shall contact the United States ambassador to
Mexico, the border commerce coordinator designated under Section
772.010, Government Code, this state's members of the United States
House of Representatives and Senate, and the mayors of each
municipality in this state in which a port of entry for land traffic
is located.
(c) Department representatives participating in a meeting
under Subsection (a) must be proficient in Spanish.
(d) Based on information obtained from the meetings under
Subsection (a), the department, in conjunction with the border
commerce coordinator, shall develop short-range and long-range
plans, including recommendations to increase bilateral relations
with Mexico and expedite trade by mitigating delays in border
crossing inspections for northbound truck traffic. The department
shall update the plan biennially and submit the updated plan to the
lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives,
and each other member of the legislature on or before December 1 of
each even-numbered year.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2005.