BILL ANALYSIS
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Senate Research Center |
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AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Under Texas law, the legislature can enact legislation to designate a portion of a highway by name. Currently, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is responsible for the design, construction, and maintenance of highway markers associated with these designations, but is not required to do so unless a grant or donation is made to cover these costs. Private donations have funded markers for some of the enacted designations, but many designations made in recent legislative sessions await donors. This has led to TxDOT funding several of the markers at their discretion.
H.B. 695 requires TxDOT to accept a grant or donation to assist in the cost of constructing or maintaining designation markers, and prevents TxDOT from designing, constructing, or erecting such a marker unless a grant or donation covers the costs.
H.B. 695 amends current law relating to funding state highway markers.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Sections 225.021(b) and (c), Transportation Code, as follows:
(b) Requires, rather than authorizes, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to accept a grant or donation made to assist in financing the construction and maintenance of a marker.
(c) Prohibits TxDOT from designing, constructing, or erecting a marker, rather than provides that TxDOT is not required to design, construct, or erect a marker, under this subchapter unless a grant or donation of funds is made to TxDOT to cover the cost of the design, construction, and erection of the marker.
SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2013.