| TO: | Honorable Harvey Hilderbran, Chair, House Committee on Culture, Recreation, & Tourism |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB2239 by Deshotel (Relating to the adoption of a state scenic byways program. ), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted |
The bill would amend the Transportation Code to require the Texas Department of Transportation
(TxDOT), in coordination with the Texas Historical Commission (THC) and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), to plan, design, and establish a program for designating highways as state scenic byways. The bill would require the state scenic byways program to include a process by which TxDOT receives proposals from political subdivisions or other community groups approved by TxDOT in accordance with the federal National Scenic Byways Program and designates highways as state scenic byways. The bill would allow TxDOT to use money from the State Highway Fund to pay for project costs not covered by federal grant funds under the National Scenic Byways Program.
TxDOT indicates that a roadway designated as a state scenic byway could be nominated for recognition under the National Scenic Byways Program, which may qualify various projects on that roadway for federal grants. This analysis does not estimate any amounts of federal grant funds that could be accessed by the state as a result of implementing the bill. Based on the analysis of TxDOT, THC, and TPWD, 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 on September 1, 2007.
| Source Agencies: | 601 Department of Transportation, 802 Parks and Wildlife Department, 808 Historical Commission
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, WK, MW, TG
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