BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 2557
85R19578 JTS-F	By: Miller et al. (Kolkhorst)
	Transportation
	5/16/2017
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Interested parties call for improvements to Texas ports and related transportation infrastructure to accommodate increased trade resulting from recent improvements to the Panama Canal. H.B. 2557 seeks to address this issue by providing for the development of certain rail facilities and the issuance of bonds for those facilities.

H.B. 2557 amends current law relating to the development of certain local government transportation infrastructure projects and authorizes the issuance of bonds.

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 Section 172.001, Transportation Code, by adding Subdivision (4-a) and amending Subdivision (7) to define "intelligent transportation system" and redefine "rail facilities."

SECTION 2. Amends Subchapter E, Chapter 172, Transportation Code, by adding Section 172.211, as follows:

Sec. 172.211.� OTHER POWERS OF COUNTY, DISTRICT, AND NAVIGATION DISTRICT. (a) Provides that this section applies only to a county that is adjacent to a county with a population of four million or more, has a population of 300,000 or more, and has created a rural rail transportation district (district) by concurrent order with an adjacent county pursuant to Section 172.052 (Creation of District by More Than One County).

(b) Authorizes a county acting through the commissioners court or a local government corporation to adopt an order that authorizes the county and a navigation district located wholly or partly in the county to develop rail facilities as a qualifying project under Chapter 2267 (Public and Private Facilities and Infrastructure), Government Code, and issue bonds for rail facilities secured by a pledge of the revenues of the facilities, including contract revenue, grant revenue, or other revenue collected in connection with the facilities.

(c) Authorizes the district, if each county that created a district adopts an order described by Subsection (b), to exercise the powers described by that subsection.

SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2017.