Amend CSSB 855, in SECTION 1 of the bill, in Chapter 446, Local Government Code, by adding Subchapter G to read as follows:SUBCHAPTER G. SOUTH TEXAS REGION Sec. 446.301. APPLICABILITY OF SUBCHAPTER. This subchapter applies only to a county that has a population of more than 325,000 and that is located adjacent to: (1) an international border; and (2) a county that has a population of more than 550,000. Sec. 446.302. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "mobility improvement project" includes: (1) sidewalks; and (2) paths, lanes, ways, and trails for bicycling or hiking and facilities related to such paths, lanes, ways, and trails. Sec. 446.303. PROJECT SELECTION AND BALLOT COMMITTEE. The governing body of the regional mobility authority operating in a county to which this subchapter applies shall establish a project selection and ballot committee to prepare a ballot proposition and related plans and information as required under this chapter. A county's project selection and ballot committee must be established before any local option election under this subchapter may be held in the county. Sec. 446.304. COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP. (a) Each county project selection and ballot committee is composed of 11 members appointed by the governing body of the regional mobility authority operating in the county as follows: (1) two members who are elected county officials; (2) two members who are elected officials of the most populous municipality located in the county; (3) six members who are elected officials of the next six most populous municipalities located in the county; and (4) one member who is a member of the governing board of the transit or transportation authority with the largest service area in the county. (b) A vacancy in a committee shall be filled by appointment by the regional mobility authority of an individual qualifying under Subsection (a) in the same manner as the vacating member. (c) A committee member is not entitled to compensation for serving on the committee but is entitled to reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses incurred in performing the official duties of office. (d) Appointments to a committee shall be made without regard to the race, color, disability, sex, religion, age, or national origin of the appointees. (e) A committee must elect a chair from among its members and may adopt rules for the conduct of its activities. (f) At the discretion of the committee, employees of the department, the county, or a municipality, regional metropolitan planning organization, airport, or transit or transportation authority located in the county may be asked to provide staff support services to a committee. (g) All meetings of a committee are open meetings. Notice of committee meetings must be provided in accordance with Sections 551.041, 551.0411, 551.042, 551.043, and 551.049, Government Code, as if the committee were a governmental body under that chapter. (h) A project selection and ballot committee established under this subchapter is abolished, and all the duties of the committee expire, on the date the committee submits a final recommended ballot under Section 446.307. Sec. 446.305. SELECTION OF PROJECTS AND METHODS OF LOCAL OPTION FUNDING. (a) A project selection and ballot committee, by majority vote of its membership, shall: (1) determine and propose each mobility improvement project located in the county or benefiting the county; (2) determine and propose one or more methods of local option funding authorized by this chapter sufficient to fund each mobility improvement project; and (3) determine and propose an appropriate rate for each proposed method of local option funding for the construction of each mobility improvement project and a separate proposed rate for each project's continued maintenance and operation, if applicable. (b) In making the determinations required by Subsection (a), the project selection and ballot committee must: (1) consult with: (A) the county; (B) the metropolitan planning organization for the region in which the county is located; (C) the municipalities located in the county; (D) the regional mobility authority created under Chapter 370, Transportation Code, operating in the county; (E) any transit or transportation authority created or operating under Subtitle K, Title 6, Transportation Code, that serves the county; and (F) any commuter rail district operating wholly or partially in the county; (2) give first consideration to mobility improvement projects of regional significance that complement or supplement the regional transportation system; and (3) consider the geographic location of other state-funded or federally funded transportation projects and mobility improvement projects so as to foster geographic equity in the planning and development of regional projects. Sec. 446.306. ADDITIONAL VEHICLE REGISTRATION FEE. (a) In addition to the methods of local option funding authorized by Subchapter B, a county project selection and ballot committee under this subchapter may propose as a method of local option funding an additional fee, not to exceed $45, for registering a vehicle in the county. (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the county commissioners court shall by order allocate money collected from the additional fee authorized by this section among county funds used by the county for deposit of money collected under Sections 502.172 and 502.1725, Transportation Code. (c) A vehicle that may be registered under Chapter 502 or 504, Transportation Code, without payment of a registration fee may be registered in the county without payment of the additional fee. (d) A fee authorized by this section may take effect only on January 1 of a year. The county must notify the department not later than September 1 of the year preceding the year in which the fee takes effect. (e) A fee authorized by this section may be abolished if the county commissioners court orders an election held in the county on that issue and the abolition of the fee is approved by a majority of voters of the county voting at the election. Abolition of the fee may take effect only on January 1 of a year. The county must notify the department not later than September 1 of the year preceding the year in which the abolition takes effect. (f) The county assessor-collector of a county imposing a fee authorized by this section shall collect the fee for a vehicle when other fees imposed under Chapter 502 or 504, Transportation Code, are collected. (g) The department shall collect the additional fee on a vehicle that is owned by a resident of the county and that, under Chapter 502 or 504, Transportation Code, must be registered directly with the department. The department shall send all fees collected for a county under this section to the county for deposit as described by Subsection (b). (h) The department shall adopt rules and develop forms necessary to administer registration by mail for a vehicle being registered in the county or a vehicle that is owned by a resident of the county. Sec. 446.307. FINAL RECOMMENDED BALLOT. (a) Before an election may be held in a county under this subchapter, the county's project selection and ballot committee must submit a final recommended ballot to the county commissioners court that contains the information described by Subsection (b). (b) The final recommended ballot must: (1) list each proposed mobility improvement project to be funded; (2) designate each proposed method of local option funding and the proposed rate or amount to be used to fund capital construction of each proposed mobility improvement project or group of projects and, if applicable, designate a separate and corresponding proposed rate or amount for the maintenance and operation of each proposed project or group of projects; (3) state the estimated date or dates on which each proposed method of local option funding is expected to expire; and (4) if applicable, list the estimated annual maintenance and operation expenses for each proposed mobility improvement project or group of projects for which a rate or amount is proposed under Subdivision (2). Sec. 446.308. COUNTY OPTION TO CALL ELECTION; PETITION PROCESS. (a) On receiving a proposed ballot from a project selection and ballot committee under Section 446.307, the county commissioners court, after holding at least two public hearings regarding the ballot, may by majority vote at a regularly held public meeting of the commissioners court: (1) order an election to be held on the issue of authorizing the ballot; or (2) reject the ballot. (b) If the county commissioners court has not taken action under Subsection (a)(1) or (2) on a proposed ballot within three months of receiving the ballot under Section 446.307, the commissioners court must order an election to be held on the next uniform election date in November or May on the issue of authorizing the ballot. (c) If a county commissioners court rejects a proposed ballot under Subsection (a)(2), the commissioners court must nonetheless call an election to be held on the next uniform election date in November or May on the issue of authorizing the ballot if the commissioners court receives: (1) a resolution requesting that the election be called on the ballot as submitted by the project selection and ballot committee that has been adopted by the governing bodies of at least two municipalities that: (A) are located partially or wholly in the county; and (B) contain at least 60 percent of the county's total population; or (2) a petition requesting that the election be called on the ballot as submitted by the project selection and ballot committee that is signed by a number of registered voters in the county equal to at least 10 percent of the total number of votes cast in the county for all candidates for governor in the most recent gubernatorial general election. (d) A county commissioners court may not amend in any way the list of mobility improvement projects or methods of local option funding contained in a proposed ballot submitted to the commissioners court by a project selection and ballot committee. (e) Before an election may be called under this subchapter, the metropolitan planning organization for the region in which the county calling the election is located must certify by majority vote that the proposed mobility improvement projects included on the proposed ballot are consistent with the organization's current long-range transportation plan. (f) An election called under this subchapter may only be held on a uniform election date in November or May. (g) An election under this subchapter may be called not more than 120 days prior to election day. Sec. 446.309. SUBSEQUENT ELECTIONS. (a) After initial mobility improvement projects and methods of local option funding are determined and an initial election is called under Sections 446.303-446.308, a regional mobility authority may establish a new project selection and ballot committee to prepare a ballot proposition for additional projects and funding, and additional elections may be called, using the procedures described by those sections. (b) Notwithstanding Section 446.308, the commissioners court of a county may not call an election under this subchapter before the 11th month following an election previously called under this subchapter.