Honorable Tommy Williams, Chair, Senate Committee on Transportation & Homeland Security
FROM:
John S O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB2541 by Solomons (Relating to the regulation of traffic on certain roads by counties.), As Engrossed
No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend the Transportation Code to authorize residents of a special district in an unincorporated area of a county with a population less than one million to petition the commissioners court to enforce traffic rules on roads owned by the special district. Upon receipt of a petition from residents in a special district the commissioners court would be required to determine if granting the petition is in the interest of the county and extend enforcement of traffic rules by the county to the roads specified in the petition.
The commissioners court may require the special district to pay for all or a part of the costs of extending the enforcement and would be required to consult with the sheriff to determine the cost of extending the enforcement. On issuance of an order, the specified roads would be considered to be county roads and the commissioners court could place official traffic control devices on the right-of-way of the roads if necessary.
Local Government Impact
There could be a fiscal impact to a county to extend traffic enforcement to a specified road under petition by residents in a special district and that would need a traffic control device. The amounts would vary depending on the number of applicable petitions that are filed and the number determined to be in the county’s interest to include in enforcement. In addition, the costs would be offset by all or partial reimbursement from the special district in which the enforcement is extended. It is assumed that a county would extend traffic enforcement only if sufficient funds were available or it would not result in a negative fiscal impact; therefore, no significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.