BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center                                                                                                        S.B. 255

                                                                                                                                          By: Carona

Transportation & Homeland Security

8/6/2007

Enrolled

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Currently, Texas law does not address reporting requirements for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).  Therefore, there is a lack of access and availability to specific data relating to TxDOT activities statewide.

S.B. 255 requires TxDOT to publish annually, in an appropriate format, information related to certain TxDOT activities.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Subchapter J, Chapter 201, Transportation Code, by adding Section 201.805, as follows:

Sec. 201.805.  REPORTS AND INFORMATION.  (a)  Requires the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to publish annually, in appropriate media and on its Internet website in a format that allows the information to be read into a commercially available electronic database, a statistical comparison of TxDOT districts and certain information, calculated on a per capita basis considering the most recent census data, for each county and for the state for each fiscal year.

(b)  Requires TxDOT to include information from all TxDOT contracts in the statistical comparison and information reports required under Subsection (a).

(c)  Requires TxDOT to publish annually in appropriate media and on its Internet website in a format that allows the information to be read into a commercially available electronic database certain information regarding the amount of money received by TxDOT and by the Texas Mobility Fund.

(d)  Requires TxDOT to publish annually in appropriate media and on its Internet website in a format that allows the information to be read into a commercially available electronic database a list of each contract TxDOT has with a person required to register as a lobbyist under Chapter 305 (Registration of Lobbyists), Government Code, a public relations firm, or a government consultant.

SECTION 2.  Effective date:  September 1, 2007.