MINUTES

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

9:00 AM

Capitol Extension, Room E1.016

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Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule 11.10 and 11.18, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Transportation was held on Tuesday, April 24, 2018, in the Capitol Extension, Room E1.016, at Austin, Texas.

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MEMBERS PRESENT:	MEMBERS ABSENT:
Senator Robert Nichols, Chair	None
Senator Bob Hall, Vice Chair
Senator Brandon Creighton
Senator Sylvia Garcia
Senator Kelly Hancock
Senator Juan Hinojosa
Senator Lois Kolkhorst
Senator Charles Perry
Senator José Rodríguez

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The chair called the meeting to order at 9:00 AM. There being a quorum present, the following business was transacted:

The Committee heard invited testimony on the following Interim Charges:

· Project Acceleration: Study and make recommendations regarding segregating state and federal transportation funding to accelerate project delivery.

· TxDOT analysis on the effect of funding allocations made in the Unified Transportation Program (UTP) and project selection decisions on accomplishing goals described in the statewide transportation plan.

Senator Hall assumed the chair.

Testimony continued.

Senator Nichols resumed the chair.

Testimony continued.

· Monitoring Charge: Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on Transportation during the 85th Legislature, Regular Session and make recommendations for any legislation needed to improve, enhance, and/or complete implementation. Specifically, monitor the following:

• Implementation of statutory changes specified in the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) sunset legislation. 1) requiring toll road entities to use toll revenue to pay back TxDOT for grants used to construct toll roads. 2) prohibiting TxDOT from operating or transferring a HOV lane as a tolled lane. 3) authorizing TxDOT to convert non-tolled lanes as toll lanes - only if the number of non-tolled lanes is greater than or equal to the number in existence before the toll conversion project. 4) prohibiting TxDOT from awarding contracts unless the contractor participates in E-verify; and
• Progress of the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) efforts to issue an annual permit for transporting overweight, sealed intermodal shipping containers on TxDOT approved routes within 30 miles of a port of entry or an international bridge.

All witnesses are shown on the attached list.

There being no further business, at 11:39 AM Senator Nichols moved that the Committee stand recessed subject to the call of the chair. Without objection, it was so ordered.

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Senator Robert Nichols, Chair

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Amy Jeter, Clerk