82R20783 NAJ-D

By: Solomons H.B. No. 2884

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to coordinated county transportation authorities; creating an offense.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 460.106(d), Transportation Code, is amended to read as follows:

(d) Except as provided by Subchapter I, a [A] service plan may be implemented in an area of the county participating in the authority only if a majority of votes received favor the authorization of a tax levy by the authority.

SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 460, Transportation Code, is amended by adding Sections 460.1091 and 460.1092 to read as follows:

Sec. 460.1091. ENFORCEMENT OF FARES AND OTHER CHARGES; PENALTIES. (a) A board of directors by resolution may prohibit the use of the public transportation system by a person without payment of the appropriate fare for the use of the system and may establish reasonable and appropriate methods to ensure that persons using the public transportation system pay the appropriate fare for that use.

(b) A board of directors by resolution may provide that a fare for or charge for the use of the public transportation system that is not paid incurs a reasonable administrative fee.

(c) An authority shall post signs designating each area in which a person is prohibited from using the transportation system without payment of the appropriate fare.

(d) A person commits an offense if the person or another for whom the person is criminally responsible under Section 7.02, Penal Code, uses the public transportation system without paying the appropriate fare.

(e) If the person fails to provide proof that the person paid the appropriate fare for the use of the public transportation system and fails to pay any administrative fee assessed under Subsection (b) on or before the 30th day after the date the authority notifies the person that the person is required to pay the amount of the fare and the administrative fee, it is prima facie evidence that the person used the public transportation system without paying the appropriate fare.

(f) The notice required by Subsection (e) may be included in a citation issued to the person by a peace officer under Article 14.06, Code of Criminal Procedure, or by a fare enforcement officer under Section 460.1092, in connection with an offense relating to the nonpayment of the appropriate fare for the use of the public transportation system.

(g) It is an exception to the application of Subsection (d) that on or before the 30th day after the date the authority notified the person that the person is required to pay the amount of the fare and any administrative fee assessed under Subsection (b), the person:

(1) provided proof that the person paid the appropriate fare at the time the person used the transportation system or at a later date or that the person was exempt from payment; and

(2) paid the administrative fee assessed under Subsection (b), if applicable.

(h) An offense under Subsection (d) is:

(1) a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed $100; and

(2) not a crime of moral turpitude.

(i) A justice court located in the service area of the authority may enter into an agreement with the authority to try all criminal cases that arise under Subsection (d). Notwithstanding Articles 4.12 and 4.14, Code of Criminal Procedure, if a justice court enters into an agreement with the authority:

(1) a criminal case that arises under Subsection (d) must be tried in the justice court; and

(2) the justice court has exclusive jurisdiction in all criminal cases that arise under Subsection (d).

Sec. 460.1092. FARE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS. (a) An authority may employ persons to serve as fare enforcement officers to enforce the payment of fares for use of the public transportation system by:

(1) requesting and inspecting evidence showing payment of the appropriate fare from a person using the public transportation system; and

(2) issuing a citation to a person described by Section 460.1091(d).

(b) Before commencing duties as a fare enforcement officer, a person must complete at least eight hours of training approved by the authority that is appropriate to the duties required of a fare enforcement officer.

(c) While performing duties, a fare enforcement officer shall:

(1) wear a distinctive uniform, badge, or insignia that identifies the person as a fare enforcement officer; and

(2) work under the direction of the authority's chief administrative officer.

(d) A fare enforcement officer may:

(1) request evidence showing payment of the appropriate fare from passengers of the public transportation system or evidence showing exemption from the payment requirement;

(2) request personal identification or other documentation designated by the authority from a passenger who does not produce evidence showing payment of the appropriate fare on request by the officer;

(3) instruct a passenger to immediately leave the public transportation system if the passenger does not possess evidence showing payment or exemption from payment of the appropriate fare; or

(4) file a complaint in the appropriate court that charges the person with an offense under Section 460.1091(d).

(e) A fare enforcement officer may not carry a weapon while performing duties under this section unless the officer is a certified peace officer.

(f) A fare enforcement officer who is not a certified peace officer is not a peace officer and has no authority to enforce a criminal law, except as provided by this section.

SECTION 3. Section 460.406(c), Transportation Code, is amended to read as follows:

(c) The board of directors may authorize the negotiation of a contract without competitive sealed bids or proposals if:

(1) the aggregate amount involved in the contract is $50,000 [$25,000] or less;

(2) the contract is for construction for which not more than one bid or proposal is received;

(3) the contract is for services or property for which there is only one source or for which it is otherwise impracticable to obtain competition;

(4) the contract is to respond to an emergency for which the public exigency does not permit the delay incident to the competitive process;

(5) the contract is for personal or professional services or services for which competitive bidding is precluded by law;

(6) the contract, without regard to form and which may include bonds, notes, loan agreements, or other obligations, is for the purpose of borrowing money or is a part of a transaction relating to the borrowing of money, including:

(A) a credit support agreement, such as a line or letter of credit or other debt guaranty;

(B) a bond, note, debt sale or purchase, trustee, paying agent, remarketing agent, indexing agent, or similar agreement;

(C) an agreement with a securities dealer, broker, or underwriter; and

(D) any other contract or agreement considered by the board of directors to be appropriate or necessary in support of the authority's financing activities;

(7) the contract is for work that is performed and paid for by the day as the work progresses;

(8) the contract is for the purchase of land or a right-of-way;

(9) the contract is for the purchase of personal property sold:

(A) at an auction by a state licensed auctioneer;

(B) at a going out of business sale held in compliance with Subchapter F, Chapter 17, Business & Commerce Code; or

(C) by a political subdivision of this state, a state agency, or an entity of the federal government;

(10) the contract is for services performed by blind or severely disabled persons;

(11) the contract is for the purchase of electricity; or

(12) the contract is one awarded for alternate project delivery under Sections 271.117-271.119, Local Government Code.

SECTION 4. Chapter 460, Transportation Code, is amended by adding Subchapter I to read as follows:

SUBCHAPTER I. PARTICIPATION IN AUTHORITY THROUGH TAX INCREMENT

PAYMENTS

Sec. 460.601. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "tax increment" means the amount of revenue generated from ad valorem taxes, sales and use taxes imposed by a municipality under Section 321.101(a), Tax Code, or both ad valorem and sales and use taxes that are attributable to a public transportation financing area designated under this subchapter that exceeds the amount attributable to the area for the year in which the area was designated.

Sec. 460.602. PARTICIPATION IN SERVICE PLAN; AGREEMENT WITH MUNICIPALITY. A service plan may be implemented in an area of a municipality that has not authorized the authority's sales and use tax levy if:

(1) the authorization by the municipality of the authority's sales and use tax levy, when combined with the rates of all sales and use taxes imposed by other political subdivisions in the municipality, would exceed two percent in any location in the municipality; and

(2) the municipality has entered into an agreement with the authority to provide public transportation services in a public transportation financing area designated under this subchapter in exchange for all or a portion of the tax increment in the area.

Sec. 460.603. DESIGNATION OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION FINANCING AREA. The governing body of a municipality by ordinance may designate a contiguous geographic area in the jurisdiction of the municipality to be a public transportation financing area. The geographic area:

(1) must have one or more transit facilities that include a structure provided for or on behalf of the authority for embarkation on and disembarkation from public transportation services provided by the authority, which may include a transit stop, transit shelter, transit garage, or transit terminal;

(2) may include any territory located in the municipality's jurisdiction; and

(3) must include an area one-half mile on either side of the proposed service route served by a structure under Subdivision (1), to the extent that that area is included in the municipality's boundaries.

Sec. 460.604. HEARING. (a) Before adopting an ordinance designating a public transportation financing area, the municipality must hold a public hearing on the creation of the public transportation financing area and its benefits to the municipality and to property in the proposed public transportation financing area. At the hearing, an interested person may speak for or against the designation of the public transportation financing area.

(b) Not later than the 30th day before the date of the hearing, notice of the hearing must be published in a newspaper having general circulation in the municipality.

Sec. 460.605. DESIGNATION OF TAX INCREMENT. (a) In the ordinance designating an area as a public transportation financing area, the municipality must:

(1) designate a portion or amount of the tax increment to be paid to the authority and deposited in the tax increment account under Section 460.606; and

(2) state whether the tax increment will be generated from ad valorem tax revenue, sales and use tax revenue, or both.

(b) The amount designated for payment and deposit may not exceed the equivalent of the amount that would be collected by the authority if the municipality had authorized the authority's sales and use tax levy.

(c) Notwithstanding Subsection (b), if the amount designated under Subsection (b) is not sufficient to compensate the authority for the maintenance and operating expenses of providing service to the public transportation financing area and for any capital cost incurred for the benefit of the public transportation financing area, the authority may request and the municipality shall designate that the entire portion or amount of the tax increment be deposited in the tax increment account, regardless of whether that amount exceeds the authority's sales and use tax levy equivalent, until any amounts owed for all previous years' maintenance and operating expenses and for any capital cost incurred for the benefit of the public transportation financing area have been paid.

Sec. 460.606. TAX INCREMENT ACCOUNT; USE OF TAXES. (a) An authority that enters into an agreement with a municipality to provide services to a public transportation financing area must establish a tax increment account and maintain the account as a fiduciary of the municipality.

(b) The taxes to be deposited into the tax increment account may be disbursed from the account only to:

(1) compensate the authority for maintenance and operating expenses of providing services to the public transportation financing area, including compensation for expansion, improvement, rehabilitation, or enhancement amounts owed for previous years' maintenance and operating expenses for the public transportation financing area;

(2) compensate the authority for any capital cost incurred for the benefit of the public transportation financing area;

(3) notwithstanding Section 321.506, Tax Code, satisfy claims of holders of tax increment bonds, notes, or other obligations issued or incurred for projects or services that directly or indirectly benefit the public transportation financing area through the expansion, improvement, rehabilitation, or enhancement of transportation service by the authority under the service plan; and

(4) pay any capital recovery fee required by the authority.

Sec. 460.607. AGREEMENT WITH COMPTROLLER. Before pledging or otherwise committing money in the tax increment account under Section 460.606, the governing body of a municipality must enter into an agreement under Subchapter E, Chapter 271, Local Government Code, to authorize and direct the comptroller to:

(1) withhold from any payment to which the municipality may be entitled the amount of the payment due to the tax increment account;

(2) deposit that amount into the tax increment account; and

(3) continue withholding and making additional payments into the tax increment account until an amount sufficient to satisfy the amount due to the account has been met.

Sec. 460.608. ACCOUNTING OF MAINTENANCE AND OPERATING EXPENSES. An authority shall, under an agreement under Section 460.602:

(1) provide to the municipality an annual accounting, with supporting documentation, of the annual maintenance and operating expenses of providing service to the public transportation financing area; and

(2) notify the municipality when amounts owed for all previous years' maintenance and operating expenses and for any capital cost incurred for the benefit of the public transportation financing area have been fully paid.

Sec. 460.609. CAPITAL RECOVERY FEE. An agreement to provide services to a public transportation financing area may require the municipality to pay the authority a capital recovery fee. An authority that requires a capital recovery fee shall:

(1) apply toward the amount owed for the capital recovery fee any amount in the tax increment account that exceeds the amount necessary to compensate the authority for:

(A) the annual maintenance and operating expenses of providing service to the public transportation financing area, including amounts for expansion, improvement, rehabilitation, or enhancement that may be owed for previous years' maintenance and operating expenses; and

(B) any capital cost incurred for the benefit of the public transportation financing area; and

(2) notify the municipality when the amount owed for the capital recovery fee has been fully paid.

Sec. 460.610. USE OF SURPLUS TAX INCREMENT PAYMENT AMOUNTS. After any applicable capital recovery fee has been paid, the authority and the municipality shall negotiate to determine use of the amount of tax increment payments that exceeds the amount necessary to compensate the authority for the annual maintenance and operating expenses of providing service to the public transportation financing area. The excess amounts may be used to develop infrastructure enhancement, replacement, or improvement projects in the public transportation financing area that benefit both the municipality and the authority.

Sec. 460.611. TERMINATION OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION FINANCING AREA. If the tax increment is pledged to the payment of bonds and interest on the bonds or to the payment of any other obligations, the public transportation financing area or an agreement for services under Section 460.602 may not be terminated by agreement of the parties unless the municipality that created the public transportation financing area deposits or causes to be deposited with a trustee or other escrow agent authorized by law funds in an amount that, together with the interest on the investment of the funds in direct obligations of the United States, will be sufficient to pay:

(1) the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on all bonds issued on behalf of the public transportation financing area at maturity or at the date fixed for redemption of the bonds; and

(2) any other amounts that may become due, including compensation due or to become due to the trustee or escrow agent, as well as to pay the principal of and interest on any other obligations incurred on behalf of the public transportation financing area.

SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011.