BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center	S.B. 1334
85R1312 JTS-D	By: Hinojosa
	Transportation
	4/13/2017
	As Filed

 

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Current law, Chapter 456, Subchapter A, Transportation Code, provides that state transit funding is available to:

 

1) Rural areas with populations of less than 50,000; and

 

2) Small urban areas with populations of 50,000 to 199,999.

 

Several areas that are currently classified as small urban have exceeded the 199,999 population threshold yet continue to draw state funding from the small urban allocation even though they no longer meet the criteria.

 

S.B. 1334 will immediately move the following urban areas into a new funding category designated as a "large urbanized area" with a population of 200,000 or more. Interested parties assert that the addition of a third funding category would alleviate the reduction of available funding for everyone who depends on this state funding.

 

As proposed, S.B. 1334 amends current law relating to the allocation categories for state funding of public transportation.

 

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 456.001, Transportation Code, by adding Subdivisions (15) and (16), to define "large urbanized area" to mean an urbanized area with a population of 200,000 or more and "small urbanized area" to mean an urbanized area with a population of less than 200,000.

 

SECTION 2. Amends Section 456.021(a), Transportation Code, to require the Texas Transportation Commission (TTC) to allocate to large urbanized, small urbanized, and nonurbanized areas, rather than urban, urbanized, and rural areas, under the formula program provided by this subchapter (Formula Program) the amount appropriated from all sources to TTC each state fiscal biennium for public transportation, other than certain money.

 

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2017.