BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 1040
86R826 BEE-D	By: Taylor
	Transportation
	3/18/2019
	As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

The 85th Texas Legislature enacted S.B. 28, creating the Ship Channel Improvement Revolving Fund to assist with deepening and widening ship channels. However, once funded, current statute limits access to this revolving fund to navigation districts. As a major port not governed by a navigation district, the Port of Galveston would be excluded from receiving these critical funds. The Port of Galveston seeks legislation to amend the statute ensuring that all Texas ports are eligible for these funds, whether they are a navigation district operating under the Water Code or a port governed by the Transportation Code.

S.B. 1040 amends current law to add ports that are governed by municipalities or boards of trustees under Chapter 54 of the Transportation Code, which would expand eligibility of the Ship Channel Improvement Revolving Fund to the Port of Galveston.

As proposed, S.B. 1040 amends current law relating to the use of money in the ship channel improvement revolving fund.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Transportation Commission in SECTION 1 (Section 56.003, Transportation Code) of this bill.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 56.003(a), Transportation Code, to require the Texas Transportation Commission by rule to establish a revolving loan program to use money from the ship channel improvement revolving fund to finance qualified projects of navigation districts or municipalities or boards of trustees under Chapter 54 (Harbor and Port Facilities in Certain Municipalities).

SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2019.