84R10817 JAM-F
 
  By: Simmons H.B. No. 20
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the operations of and transportation planning and
  expenditures by the Texas Department of Transportation and local
  transportation entities.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Chapter 201, Transportation Code, is amended by
  adding Subchapter C-1 to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER C-1. ADVISORY COMMITTEES
         Sec. 201.151.  STATE INFRASTRUCTURE ADVISORY COMMITTEE. (a)  
  In this section, "advisory committee" means the state
  infrastructure advisory committee.
         (b)  The state infrastructure advisory committee is composed
  of the following six members:
               (1)  three members of the senate appointed by the
  lieutenant governor, including:
                     (A)  a member of the committee having primary
  jurisdiction over matters relating to finance; and
                     (B)  the chair of the committee having primary
  jurisdiction over transportation; and
               (2)  three members of the house of representatives
  appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives,
  including:
                     (A)  a member of the committee having primary
  jurisdiction over matters relating to appropriations; and
                     (B)  the chair of the committee having primary
  jurisdiction over transportation.
         (c)  The following persons shall serve as staff support for
  the advisory committee:
               (1)  a member of the senior staff of the department,
  designated by the director, who has management-level
  responsibility for the design, implementation, and ongoing review
  of project selection criteria for transportation infrastructure
  projects;
               (2)  a member of the senior staff of the department,
  designated by the director, who has management-level
  responsibility for the funding and financing of transportation
  infrastructure projects;
               (3)  a member of the senior staff of the department,
  designated by the director, who has management-level
  responsibility relating to the department's policies on innovation
  and strategy;
               (4)  a member of the staff of the internal auditor of
  the department, designated by the commission; and
               (5)  the support staff of the commission.
         (d)  A member of the advisory committee serves at the will of
  the person who appointed the member.
         (e)  The chairs of the committees of the house of
  representatives and senate having primary jurisdiction over
  transportation serve as co-presiding officers of the advisory
  committee.
         (f)  The advisory committee may hold public hearings, formal
  meetings, or work sessions called by either co-presiding officer of
  the committee at any time. The advisory committee may not take
  formal action at a public hearing, formal meeting, or work session
  unless a quorum of the committee is present.
         (g)  Except as otherwise provided by this subsection, a
  member of the advisory committee is not entitled to receive
  compensation for service on the committee. Service on the advisory
  committee is considered legislative service for which a member of
  the advisory committee is entitled to reimbursement and other
  benefits in the same manner and to the same extent as for other
  legislative service.
         (h)  The advisory committee shall submit a report to the
  commission regarding transportation funding, project selection,
  and financing matters for use by the commission. The report must
  include an assessment of and recommendations on:
               (1)  department rules and policies regarding the
  preparation for and allocation of construction funding for projects
  involving commission discretion under the department's unified
  transportation program;
               (2)  department rules and policies regarding the
  development and implementation of performance-based scoring and
  decision-making for project prioritization and selection;
               (3)  all available programs or funds for providing
  financing for projects included in the unified transportation
  program, including guidelines for the ongoing use of each program
  or fund that has been authorized by the legislature;
               (4)  the use of and lending practices related to the
  Texas Mobility Fund;
               (5)  performance metrics and measurement tools used by
  the department to evaluate the performance of a department project
  or program;
               (6)  the department's collaboration with state elected
  officials, local governments, government trade associations,
  metropolitan planning organizations, regional mobility
  authorities, and other entities when adopting rules or formulating
  policies;
               (7)  the department's innovation and technology
  projects and programs, including information technology projects
  and technology advances in construction, maintenance, traffic
  management, and motor vehicles;
               (8)  the department's safety and maintenance projects
  and programs, including projects and programs related to energy
  sector roads and bridges; and
               (9)  the overall operation, function, and structure of
  the department and the commission.
         (i)  This subsection and Subsection (h) expire September 1,
  2017.
         (j)  The advisory committee may advise and make
  recommendations to the department and commission on any matter at
  any time, including regarding information to be posted on the
  department's Internet website.
         (k)  The advisory committee may adopt policies and
  procedures as needed to implement this section and its
  responsibilities.
         (l)  On the recommendation of the advisory committee, the
  department shall enter into a contract with an independent firm for
  a forensic audit of the actions of the department or commission in
  an area of interest determined by the advisory committee, including
  procurement procedures, information technology practices, toll
  operations, organizational structure, methods of funding or
  financing of projects, organizational transparency, external
  communications, and project selection.
         (m)  Chapter 2110, Government Code, does not apply to the
  advisory committee.
         (n)  The advisory committee is subject to Chapter 325,
  Government Code (Texas Sunset Act). Unless continued in existence
  as provided by that chapter, the committee is abolished and this
  section expires September 1, 2025. 
         Sec. 201.152.  STAKEHOLDER ADVISORY COMMITTEES. (a) The
  commission shall establish one or more stakeholder advisory
  committees to make recommendations to the commission or department
  before the adoption of a rule, policy, or procedure affecting the
  stakeholders. An advisory committee has the purposes, powers, and
  duties prescribed by the commission.
         (b)  Chapter 2110, Government Code, does not apply to a
  stakeholder advisory committee established under this section.
         (c)  The commission shall appoint to each stakeholder
  advisory committee persons who:
               (1)  are selected from a list provided by the director;
               (2)  have knowledge about and interests in the work of
  the advisory committee being established; and
               (3)  represent a broad range of viewpoints on the work
  of the advisory committee being established.
         (d)  A stakeholder advisory committee must include a member
  of the public if appropriate and beneficial.
         (e)  A member of a stakeholder advisory committee may not be
  compensated by the commission or the department for service on the
  advisory committee.
         (f)  The meetings of a stakeholder advisory committee must be
  made accessible to the public in person or through electronic
  means.
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter H, Chapter 201, Transportation Code,
  is amended by adding Sections 201.6016 and 201.6017 to read as
  follows:
         Sec. 201.6016.  PRIORITIZATION OF PROJECTS BY LOCAL
  TRANSPORTATION ENTITIES AND DEPARTMENT DISTRICTS. (a) The
  department shall work with all local transportation entities in the
  state to develop and adopt uniform guidelines governing the funding
  prioritization of the entities' transportation projects.
         (b)  The commission, in consultation with department staff,
  shall establish a project selection stakeholders advisory
  committee that represents diverse interests in the state. The
  committee is composed of:
               (1)  the presiding officer of the governing body or a
  person designated by the presiding officer of at least:
                     (A)  10 metropolitan planning organizations; and
                     (B)  3 regional mobility authorities; and
               (2)  10 department district engineers.
         (c)  The project selection stakeholders advisory committee
  shall review proposed guidelines from each local transportation
  entity and recommend to the department uniform guidelines to be
  adopted under Subsection (a) and implemented by all local
  transportation entities and department districts.
         (d)  In making recommendations under Subsection (c), the
  project selection stakeholders advisory committee shall consider:
               (1)  the time frame in which a project is needed;
               (2)  the feasibility of a project, including the
  availability of rights-of-way, funding support, and the ability to
  plan, design, and construct the project in a reasonable period of
  time;
               (3)  the viability of a project, including whether the
  project is a comprehensive solution with a measurable outcome;
               (4)  the sustainability of a project, assessing how the
  project will meet the needs of the community, stakeholders, and the
  environment; and
               (5)  all criteria established by the commission for
  prioritization of projects.
         (e)  In prioritizing projects, each local transportation
  entity and department district shall include projects that meet
  short-term and long-term needs of the entity's jurisdiction.
         (f)  Uniform standards established under this section must
  be approved by the commission.
         (g)  Using the uniform standards established under this
  section, each local transportation entity and department district
  shall submit to the department the funding prioritization for
  transportation projects in the entity's jurisdiction. 
         Sec. 201.6017.  PRIORITIZATION OF PROJECTS BY DEPARTMENT AND
  APPROVED BY COMMISSION. (a) The department shall prioritize and
  the commission shall approve projects included in the statewide
  transportation plan under Section 201.601 in order to provide
  financial assistance under this chapter. 
         (b)  The department shall establish and the commission shall
  approve an overall performance-based process for setting category
  funding levels in the department's unified transportation program.
  The department shall consider a zero-based budget approach to
  address safety, maintenance, congestion, connectivity, economic
  development, and other needs. 
         (c)  The department shall establish and the commission shall
  approve a point system for prioritization of projects for which
  financial assistance is sought from the commission. The project
  evaluation criteria must take into consideration the department's
  strategic goals as approved by the commission. The system must
  include a standard for the department to apply in determining how to
  take into account the diverse needs of the state so as to fairly
  allocate funding to all regions of the state.
         (d)  The department may not recommend and the commission may
  not approve a deviation from the department's selection of projects
  for funding of more than 10 percent of the current biennial budget
  of the department. A deviation must be reviewed with the state
  infrastructure advisory committee before the commission takes
  action. Not less than 60 days before approving a deviation, the
  commission must provide notice of that pending approval to the
  state infrastructure advisory committee. 
         (e)  In awarding points to projects, the department shall
  give priority to projects that:
               (1)  address safety, maintenance, congestion
  mitigation, and connectivity;
               (2)  provide assistance to urban and rural populations;
               (3)  provide regional balance;
               (4)  meet a high percentage of the infrastructure needs
  of a community; 
               (5)  have available funding;
               (6)  are able to begin without significant delay; and
               (7)  include public participation in the planning
  process and public support for the project.
         (f)  In addition to criteria under Subsection (e), in
  prioritizing projects the department shall consider:
               (1)  the local contribution to be made to construct the
  project;
               (2)  the financial capacity of the entity responsible
  for the project to repay the obligation if the assistance is in the
  form of a loan;
               (3)  the ability to timely leverage state financial
  support with local and federal funding;
               (4)  whether there is an emergency need for the
  project;
               (5)  whether all preliminary planning and design work
  associated with the project necessary to reasonably predict cost,
  construction period, and benefits of the project have been
  completed;
               (6)  whether all rights-of-way and easements necessary
  to begin construction have been acquired or approved;
               (7)  the start date for and certainty of the beginning
  of project construction;
               (8)  the demonstrated or projected impact on the
  community; and
               (9)  the priority given the project by the applicable
  local transportation entity under Section 201.6016.
         SECTION 3.  Section 201.809, Transportation Code, is amended
  by adding Subsections (e) through (j) to read as follows:
         (e)  The department shall develop and implement, and the
  commission shall approve, a performance-based planning and
  programming process dedicated to providing the executive and
  legislative branches of government with indicators that quantify
  and qualify progress toward attaining all department goals and
  objectives established by the legislature and the commission. 
         (f)  The department shall develop and implement performance
  metrics and performance measures as part of:
               (1)  the review of strategic planning in the statewide
  transportation plan, metropolitan transportation plans, rural
  transportation plans, and unified transportation program;
               (2)  the evaluation of decision-making on projects
  selected for funding in the unified transportation program and
  statewide transportation improvement program; and
               (3)  the evaluation of project delivery for projects in
  the department's letting schedule. 
         (g)  The department shall use and the commission shall review
  performance metrics and measures to: 
               (1)  assess how well the transportation system is
  operating;
               (2)  provide the department, legislature,
  stakeholders, and public with information to support decisions;
               (3)  assess the effectiveness and efficiency of
  transportation projects and service delivery; and
               (4)  demonstrate transparency and accountability.
         (h)  The department shall develop and implement, and the
  commission shall approve, specific performance metrics and
  measures for sustainable objectives, including:
               (1)  congestion reduction;
               (2)  safety enhancements;
               (3)  expansion of economic opportunity;
               (4)  preservation of the value of existing
  transportation assets; 
               (5)  cost efficiency of the department's operations;
               (6)  project procurement, delivery, and final cost; and
               (7)  enhancements in public participation in the
  infrastructure planning process. 
         (i)  The requirement for the department to develop and
  implement a performance-based planning and programming process
  does not replace or alter the requirement of the department to
  comply with the budgetary performance measures for each biennium as
  established in the General Appropriations Act. The department may
  not rely on its requirement to report budgetary performance
  measures as satisfying the requirements imposed under this section.
         (j)  The department shall develop and implement monthly and
  annual reporting schedules for all performance metrics and measures
  required under this section.
         SECTION 4.  Section 201.117, Transportation Code, is
  repealed.
         SECTION 5.  Not later than January 1, 2017, the state
  infrastructure advisory committee established by Section 201.151,
  Transportation Code, as added by this Act, shall submit to the
  legislature the report required by that section.
         SECTION 6.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2015.