AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
A metropolitan planning organization (MPO) is a federally mandated and federally funded transportation policy-making organization in the United States that is made up of representatives from local government and governmental transportation authorities. The United States Congress passed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1962, which required the formation of an MPO for any urbanized area with a population greater than 50,000. Federal funding for transportation projects and programs are channeled through this planning process.
MPOs are a critical part of the transportation planning process, and taxpayers should be assured that their tax dollars are being used responsibly. Transparency and accountability are essential components of a functioning democracy. As such, this bill hopes to safeguard those tax dollars by adding a provision in law to require all MPO policy board members serving a county with a population of more than 1.7 million to be elected officials and, therefore, more directly accountable to the public.
As proposed, S.B. 1331 amends current law relating to voting eligibility requirements for members of a metropolitan planning organization policy board.
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 Subchapter D, Chapter 472, Transportation Code, by adding Section 472.036, as follows:
Sec. 472.036. POLICY BOARD MEMBER VOTING ELIGIBILITY IN CERTAIN COUNTIES. Requires a member, to be eligible to be a voting member of a metropolitan planning organization policy board that serves a county with a population of more than 1.7 million and in which more than 75 percent of the population resides in a single municipality, to be an elected official.
SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2013.