| TO: | Honorable Robert Talton, Chair, House Committee on Urban Affairs |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Deputy Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB2489 by Wong (Relating to the creation of green ribbon master plans for certain districts of the Texas Department of Transportation.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted |
The bill would amend the Transportation Code by adding Section 201.617 to require that the Texas Transportation Commission by rule require each Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) district that includes an urban area to establish a green ribbon master plan for the area. For each transportation project contract in a nonattainment area, the department would be required to allocate to the district an amount equal to not less than 1 percent and not more than 1.25 percent of the amount spent under the contract for projects under the district's green ribbon plan. The bill would require the allocation to be used to improve air quality, prevent erosion, and provide shading. The bill would specify that at least half of the allocation be used for planting trees and other vegetation to mitigate the effects of air pollution.
Based on the analysis of TxDOT, it is assumed any costs and duties associated with implementing the provisions of the bill could be absorbed within existing resources.
The bill would take effect immediately upon receiving a vote of two-thirds of all members elected to each house or otherwise on September 1, 2005.
| Source Agencies: | 601 Department of Transportation
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, DLBa, MW, TG
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