By: Uresti S.B. No. 1875

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to funding and donations for transportation projects, including projects of county energy transportation reinvestment zones.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Chapter 256, Transportation Code, is amended by amending Subchapter C to read as follows:

SUBCHAPTER C. TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE FUND

Sec. 256.101. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:

(4) "Well completion" means the completion, reentry, or recompletion of both a traditional and horizontal oil or gas well.

Sec. 256.103. GRANT PROGRAM.

(b) Grants distributed during a fiscal year must be allocated among counties as follows:

(1) 20 percent according to weight tolerance permits, specifically related to oil and gas activities, determined by the ratio of weight tolerance permits issued in the preceding fiscal year for the county that designated a county energy transportation reinvestment zone to the total number of weight tolerance permits issued in the state in that fiscal year, as determined by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles;

(2) 20 percent according to oil and gas production taxes, determined by the ratio of oil and gas production taxes collected by the comptroller in the preceding fiscal year in the county that designated a county energy transportation reinvestment zone to the total amount of oil and gas production taxes collected in the state in that fiscal year, as determined by the comptroller;

(3) 10 percent according to traditional, non horizontal, well completions, determined by the ratio of traditional well completions in the preceding fiscal year in the county that designated a county energy transportation reinvestment zone to the total number of traditional well completions in the state in that fiscal year, as determined by the Railroad Commission of Texas and 40 percent according to horizontal well completions, determined by the ratio of horizontal well completions in the preceding fiscal year in the county that designated a county energy transportation reinvestment zone to the total number of horizontal well completions in the state in that fiscal year, as determined by the Railroad Commission of Texas; and

(4) 10 percent according to the total number the volume of oil and gas waste injected, determined by the ratio of the total number of oil and gas waste injected in the preceding fiscal year in the county that designated a county energy transportation reinvestment zone to the total volume of oil and gas waste injected in the state in that fiscal year, as determined by the Railroad Commission of Texas.

Sec. 256.105 MATCHING FUNDS. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), to be eligible to receive a grant under the program, matching funds must be provided, from any source, in an amount equal to at least 15 percent of the amount of the grant.

(b) A county that the department determines to be economically disadvantaged must provide matching funds in an amount equal to at least 7.5 percent of the amount of the grant.

Sec. 256.106. PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION. (a) A county that makes a second or subsequent application for a grant from the department under this subchapter must:

(1) provide the department with a copy of a report filed under Section 251.018;

(2) certify that all previous grants are being spent in accordance with the plan submitted under Section 256.104;

(3) provide an update and brief description of the status of all ongoing projects; and

(4) provide an accounting of how previous grants were spent, including any amounts spent on administrative costs.

(b) The department may use one-half of one percent of the amount deposited into the fund in the preceding fiscal year, not to exceed $500,000 in a state fiscal biennium, to administer this subchapter.

Sec. 222.1071. COUNTY ENERGY TRANSPORTATION REINVESTMENT ZONES.

(i) The county may:

(1) use money in the tax increment account to provide:

(A) matching funds under Section 256.105; and

(B) funding for one or more transportation infrastructure projects located in the zone county;

(2) apply for grants under Subchapter C, Chapter 256, subject to Section 222.1072;

(3) use five one percent of any grant distributed to the county under Subchapter C, Chapter 256, for the administration of a county energy transportation reinvestment zone, not to exceed $250,000 $100,000;

Sec. 222.1072. ADVISORY BOARD OF COUNTY ENERGY TRANSPORTATION REINVESTMENT ZONE.

(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), the advisory board of a county energy transportation reinvestment zone may consists of the following members appointed by the county judge and approved by the county commissioners court:

(1) up to three oil and gas company representatives who perform a company activitiesy or related service, in the county and are local taxpayers; and

(2) two public members.

SECTION 4. Subchapter A, Chapter 251, Transportation Code, is amended by adding Sections 251.018 and 251.019 to read as follows:

Sec. 251.018. ROAD REPORTS. A road condition report made by a county that is operating under a system of administering county roads under Chapter 252 or a special law, including a report made under Section 251.005, must include the primary cause of any road, culvert, or bridge degradation if reasonably ascertained along with a brief description of the damage.

SECTION 8. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.