BILL ANALYSIS
By: Raymond
Border & International Affairs
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
The implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has brought dramatically increased traffic and collisions to border cities. Currently the Texas Department of Transportation is in the process of building eight inspection stations and may choose a site for a border inspection station without consultation or approval from the affected municipality. Cities with large commercial border crossing traffic are concerned that if the inspection station location is not carefully chosen to minimize traffic delay and congestion, unsafe traffic patterns and increased pollution will result.
H.B. 3594 allows cities that had at least 900,000 commercial border crossings in state fiscal year ending August 31, 2002, to direct where the inspection station will be located if the station is to be located inside the city limits or the city=s extraterritorial jurisdiction.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the opinion of the committee that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
H.B. 3594 amends the Transportation Code by requiring the Texas Department of Transportation to erect and maintain border inspection facilities along a major highway at or near a border crossing from Mexico in the Pharr, Laredo, and El Paso districts for the purpose of inspecting motor vehicles for compliance with state and federal commercial motor vehicle regulations. If the department chooses to locate a border inspection facility inside a municipality or a municipality=s extraterritorial jurisdiction, and the municipality has a bridge system that had over 900,000 commercial border crossings in state fiscal year ending August 31, 2002, the municipality may choose the location of the border inspection facility. The municipality must choose the location before the later of 180 days after the date of a request by the department to do so or 180 days after the effective date of this Act. The bill requires that only one inspection facility shall be constructed in a municipality described by this Act. The bill provides requirements for a municipality when determining the location for a border inspection facility. The bill sets forth provisions for the department to coordinate with other agencies and certain transportation officials for the implementation and utilization of intelligent transportation systems. The bill requires the department to expend certain funds in accordance with this Act.
EFFECTIVE DATE
Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2007.