BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center	H.B. 3444
88R23927 MZM-D	By: Canales (Hinojosa)
	Transportation
	5/12/2023
	Engrossed

 

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Currently, Section 201.105, Transportation Code, requires the Texas Transportation Commission (TTC) to divide the state into up to 25 districts for the purpose of the performance of the Texas Department of Transportation's (TxDOT) duties. Each of these districts is given a designation of metro, urban, or rural. These designations are created internally without public input and are not formally adopted by TTC. It has been suggested that TxDOT should have a clear, open, and transparent process for district designations.

 

H.B. 3444 amends the Transportation Code to require TTC by rule to prescribe criteria for the classification of each TxDOT district as either metropolitan, urban, or rural. The rules must classify a district with a population of more than one million as metropolitan.

 

H.B. 3444 amends current law relating to the classification of transportation districts by the Texas Transportation Commission.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Transportation Commission in SECTION 1 (Section 201.105, Transportation Code) of this bill.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1. Amends Section 201.105, Transportation Code, by adding Subsection (h), as follows:

 

(h) Requires the Texas Transportation Commission (TTC) by rule to prescribe criteria for the classification of each district as metropolitan, urban, or rural. Requires that the rules classify a district with a population of more than one million as metropolitan.

 

SECTION 2. Requires TTC, as soon as practicable after the effective date of this Act, to adopt the rules required by Section 201.105(h), Transportation Code, as added by this Act.

 

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2023.