BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 2219

By: Phillips

Transportation

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Currently, the public transportation advisory committee is composed of 11 individuals appointed by the Texas Transportation Commission and operates without oversight from the legislature. When the committee was created by H.B. 3588 during the 78th Legislature, Regular Session, 2003, the legislative intent was that the committee would be a legislative oversight board for the Texas Department of Transportation's public transportation functions. This bill returns oversight of the committee to the legislature to ensure that the commission is responsive to recommendations of the committee.

C.S.H.B. 2219 establishes that the public transportation advisory committee consists of nine, rather than 11 members. The bill requires the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of representatives to each appoint one member of the committee who represents a diverse cross-section of public transportation providers, one member who represents a diverse cross-section of transportation users, and one member who represents the general public. The bill specifies that a committee member serves at the pleasure of the appointing officer.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 2219 amends the Transportation Code to establish that the public transportation advisory committee consists of nine, rather than 11 members, and to prohibit the first two members who are serving on the committee before the effective date of the bill and whose positions expire or become vacant from being replaced. The bill requires the governor, lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of representatives to appoint committee members, rather than the Texas Transportation Commission, and requires each officer to appoint one member who represents a diverse cross-section of public transportation providers, one member who represents a diverse cross-section of transportation users, and one member who represents the general public. The bill removes the requirement that the membership of the board consist of four members who represent a diverse cross-section of public transportation providers, three members who represent a diverse cross-section of transportation users, three members who represent the general public, and one member with experience in the administration of health and human services programs. The bill specifies that a member serves at the pleasure of the officer who appointed the member, rather than at the pleasure of the commission.  

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2009.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 2219 differs from the original by requiring the governor, lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of representatives to each appoint to the public transportation advisory committee one member to each of the three types of membership positions on the committee, whereas the original requires the officers to each appoint three members and to allocate among themselves the authority for appointment of members with different types of qualifications. The substitute removes a provision in the original requiring the membership of the committee to consist of five members who represent a diverse cross-section of public transportation providers, two members who represent a diverse cross-section of public transportation users, and two members who represent the general public.