BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 4475

By: Ortega

Transportation

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

A tramway in West Texas owned and operated by the Parks and Wildlife Department closed in September 2018 after an engineering study determined that the tramway had exceeded its functional life expectancy. There is widespread support in the community near the state park serviced by the tramway to return it to a safe and operational condition to continue serving the public. However, there are concerns about the complexity of the project that could derail the restoration of the tramway. C.S.H.B. 4475 seeks to address this issue by amending the Regional Mobility Authority Act to provide for such a restoration project.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 4475 amends the Transportation Code to amend the definition of "governmental entity," for purposes of the Regional Mobility Authority Act, to include another state agency in addition to the Texas Department of Transportation among the entities considered a governmental entity for purposes of the act. The bill amends the definition of "transportation project" for purposes of the act to include among the projects considered a transportation project an aerial cable car or aerial tramway for the transportation of persons or property or both that is located in the jurisdiction of an authority created by a municipality that borders the United Mexican States and has a population of 105,000 or more.

C.S.H.B. 4475 establishes that an agreement between a regional mobility authority and a governmental entity in connection with a transportation project financed, acquired, constructed, or operated by the authority in which the entity issues obligations or enters into and makes payments under any related credit agreements may include a means for the entity to pledge or otherwise provide funds for a transportation project that benefits the governmental entity to be developed by the authority.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2019.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 4475 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

The substitute includes a specification that the aerial cable car or aerial tramway for the transportation of persons or property or both included as a transportation project under the act is located in the jurisdiction of a regional mobility authority created by a municipality that borders the United Mexican States and has a population of 105,000 or more.