BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

 

H.B. 695

By: Phillips

Transportation

Committee Report (Unamended)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

Currently, the legislature can enact legislation to name a portion of highway, and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has the responsibility to design, construct, and maintain highway markers in accordance but is not required to do so unless a grant or donation is made to cover the cost of designing, constructing, and erecting the marker. Private donations have funded markers for some of the enacted designations, but many of the designations made in recent legislative sessions await donors. TxDOT has chosen to fund several of the projects.  H.B. 695 seeks to strengthen language placing the financial responsibility for such markers on grants or donations of funds made to TxDOT.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

 

ANALYSIS

 

H.B. 695 amends the Transportation Code to require, rather than authorize, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to accept a grant or donation made to assist in financing the construction and maintenance of a specific state highway name marker. The bill removes a provision exempting TxDOT from a requirement to design, construct, or erect a specific state highway name marker unless a grant or donation of funds is made to TxDOT to cover the cost of the design, construction, and erection of the marker and instead prohibits TxDOT from performing those activities unless such a grant or donation is made.

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2013.