By: Seliger  S.B. No. 970
         (In the Senate - Filed February 19, 2009; March 9, 2009,
  read first time and referred to Committee on Transportation and
  Homeland Security; March 31, 2009, reported favorably by the
  following vote:  Yeas 7, Nays 2; March 31, 2009, sent to printer.)
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the qualifications required of the executive director
  of the Texas Department of Transportation.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subsection (a), Section 201.301, Transportation
  Code, is amended to read as follows:
         (a)  The commission shall elect an executive director for the
  department. The director must be [a registered professional
  engineer in this state and] experienced and skilled in
  transportation planning and[,] development[, construction,] and in
  organizational management [maintenance].
         SECTION 2.  (a)  The change in law made by this Act applies
  only to a person elected by the Texas Transportation Commission as
  the executive director of the Texas Department of Transportation on
  or after the effective date of this Act.
         (b)  The change in law made by this Act does not affect the
  right of the person serving as the executive director of the Texas
  Department of Transportation on the effective date of this Act to
  continue to serve as the executive director of that department.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2009.
 
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