Honorable Robert Nichols, Chair, Senate Committee on Transportation
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB20 by Simmons (Relating to the operations of and transportation planning and expenditures by the Texas Department of Transportation and planning organizations.), As Engrossed
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend the Transportation Code to require the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to develop and implement, and the Texas Transportation Commission (TTC) to approve, a performance-based planning and programming process that would provide the governor and the Legislature with indicators that quantify and qualify progress toward attaining all of the goals and objectives established for the department by the Legislature and the commission. The bill would require TxDOT and TTC to develop and implement certain performance metrics and measures and implement period reporting schedules for all metrics and measures prescribed by the bill. The bill would require planning organizations in the state to develop, adopt, and submit to TxDOT guidelines governing the funding prioritization of the organizations' transportation projects.
The bill would establish a nine-member House Select Committee on Transportation Planning and a nine-member Senate Select Committee on Transportation Planning and require the Speaker of the House and the Lieutenant Governor to appoint the members and designate the chairs of their chambers' respective committees not later than the earlier of 30 days after the bill takes effect or September 1, 2015. The bill would require the select committees, meeting jointly or separately, to review, study, and evaluate certain aspects of transportation funding, project selection and prioritization, performance measures and metrics, and policymaking; and, not later than November 1, 2016, jointly adopt and provide a written report of recommendations on the reviewed subjects to the Legislature. The bill would require TxDOT to submit a report to the select committees that provides information necessary for those committees to review certain factors under the committees' charges. Provisions establishing the select committees and their charges would expire on January 13, 2017.
Based on the information provided by TxDOT, it is assumed any costs or duties associated with implementing the provisions of the bill could be absorbed within existing resources.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.