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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the legislative appropriations request process for the |
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Texas Department of Transportation. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 322.008, Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (b-1) to read as follows: |
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(b-1) The director shall, as appropriate, organize the |
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proposed appropriations for the Texas Department of Transportation |
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in the manner and include the content required by Section 201.119, |
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Transportation Code. |
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SECTION 2. Section 201.119, Transportation Code, is amended |
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by adding Subsections (c), (d), (e), and (f) to read as follows: |
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(c) Notwithstanding Section 401.042, Government Code, the |
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department shall develop a zero-based legislative appropriations |
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request for every other state fiscal biennium that includes: |
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(1) a citation to: |
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(A) the department's authority under the Texas |
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Constitution to operate; and |
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(B) the law specifying the department's purpose |
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or mission; and |
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(2) a list of the department's requests for |
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legislative appropriations organized by program or activity. |
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(d) For each specific program or activity described by |
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Subsection (c)(2), the department must include: |
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(1) a line item that describes the program or activity |
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and the purpose of the program or activity and cites the law that |
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authorizes or requires the program or activity; |
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(2) a statement of the commission's goals for the |
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program or activity; |
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(3) the appropriation made for the program or activity |
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for the state fiscal biennium preceding the state fiscal biennium |
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for which the requested appropriation is made; |
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(4) the amount of the requested appropriation; |
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(5) a statement that specifies whether the requested |
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appropriation for the program or activity is from nondedicated |
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money in the general revenue fund, dedicated money in the general |
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revenue fund, the state highway fund, federal money, or another |
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source; |
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(6) the number of full-time equivalent employees |
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authorized for the program or activity for the state fiscal |
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biennium preceding the state fiscal biennium for which the |
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requested appropriation is made and the number of full-time |
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equivalent employees for the biennium that would be authorized |
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under the requested appropriation; |
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(7) a line item specifying the average compensation |
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paid to employees administering the program or activity and a |
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succinct notation justifying the staffing levels that would be |
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authorized under the requested appropriation as specified in |
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Subdivision (6); |
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(8) an estimate of the cost of any adverse effects that |
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reasonably may be anticipated to result if the program or activity |
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were discontinued and a description of the methods by which the cost |
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was estimated; |
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(9) an itemized account of expenditures required to |
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maintain the minimum level of service required by law to be provided |
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through the program or activity and a succinct statement of the |
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quantity and quality of services provided at that minimum level; |
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and |
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(10) an itemized account of expenditures required to |
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maintain the current level of service provided through the program |
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or activity and a succinct statement of the quantity and quality of |
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services provided at the current level. |
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(e) Line items described by Subsection (d)(1) must be |
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grouped together according to the level in the department's |
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organizational structure at which budgetary authority for the |
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program or activity represented by a line item is exercised by a |
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manager who has authority over the department's finances. |
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(f) For each legislative appropriations request made in the |
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manner required by Subsection (c), the commission shall develop and |
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submit to the Legislative Budget Board a ranking of the programs and |
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activities represented by the line items according to the relative |
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importance of each program and activity to the overall goals and |
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purposes of the department and the commission. |
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SECTION 3. (a) Section 322.008, Government Code, as |
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amended by this Act, applies beginning with the general |
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appropriations bill prepared for the 2016-2017 state fiscal |
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biennium. |
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(b) The Texas Department of Transportation shall develop |
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and submit a zero-based legislative appropriations request as |
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required by Section 201.119, Transportation Code, as amended by |
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this Act, beginning with the department's legislative |
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appropriations request for the 2016-2017 state fiscal biennium. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect on the 91st day after the |
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last day of the legislative session. |