BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3551

By: Craddick

Transportation

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Concerns have been raised regarding the lack of public access to data purchased by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) for use in making decisions on various transportation issues throughout Texas. There have been calls to increase transparency in this regard given that transportation issues, and the money used to pay for them, affect nearly every citizen across the state. C.S.H.B. 3551 seeks to provide greater clarity for all Texans and to allow open access to this information by requiring TxDOT to release, on request, certain data purchased using government funds. 

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. 3551 amends the Transportation Code to require the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to provide on request a written or electronic copy of any data purchased by TxDOT, including data, disaggregated by county, that was purchased for the purpose of conducting the study on the Ports-to-Plains Corridor. The bill requires TxDOT to provide the requested data within a reasonable time but not later than the 60th day after the date TxDOT receives the request.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2021.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 3551 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 broadens the applicability of the original's requirement for TxDOT to provide on request all data purchased for the purpose of conducting the study by requiring TxDOT to provide on request any data purchased by TxDOT, including that specific data.

The substitute includes a requirement not in the original for TxDOT to provide the requested data within a reasonable time but not later than the 60th day after the date TxDOT receives the request.