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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the approval by the Texas Department of Transportation |
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of certain transportation projects of a regional mobility |
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authority. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 370.038(a), Transportation Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) The commission shall adopt rules that: |
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(1) govern the creation of an authority; |
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(2) govern [the commission's approval of a project
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under Section 370.187 and other] commission approvals required by |
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this chapter; |
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(3) establish design and construction standards for a |
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transportation project that will connect with a highway in the |
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state highway system or a department rail facility; |
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(4) establish minimum audit and reporting |
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requirements and standards; |
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(5) establish minimum ethical standards for authority |
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directors and employees; and |
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(6) govern the authority of an authority to contract |
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with the United Mexican States or a state of the United Mexican |
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States. |
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SECTION 2. Section 370.187(b), Transportation Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(b) The commission by rule shall establish procedures and |
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criteria for the department's [an] approval of a transportation |
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project that will connect with a highway in the state highway system |
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or a department rail facility [under this section]. The procedures |
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and criteria [rules] must: |
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(1) be based on safety and operational considerations; |
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and |
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(2) require the department [commission] to consider a |
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request for project approval not later than the 60th day after the |
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date the department receives all information reasonably necessary |
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to review the request. |
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SECTION 3. Section 370.187(a), Transportation Code, is |
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repealed. |
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SECTION 4. Section 370.187, Transportation Code, as amended |
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by this Act, applies only to a request for approval of a project |
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that is submitted to the Texas Department of Transportation on or |
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after the effective date of this Act. A request for approval of a |
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project that is submitted before that date is governed by the law in |
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effect on the date the request for approval was submitted, and the |
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former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |