HBA-MPA C.S.H.B. 1918 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 1918 By: Oliveira Transportation 4/22/1999 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, Section 201.601, Transportation Code, calls for a statewide transportation plan which incorporates all facets of transportation: airlines, maritime, shipping, rail, and highways. Bordering the Future, a report published in July 1998 by the comptroller's office, recommended the creation of a State Transportation Council to develop such a plan to improve transportation facilities for the benefit of the state's economy. C.S.H.B. 1918 creates the transportation plan advisory committee, and outlines a revision of the state's transportation plan. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 201.601, Transportation Code, as follows: Sec. 201.601. STATEWIDE TRANSPORTATION PLAN. (a) Requires the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to develop a statewide transportation plan that meets the requirements of 23 U.S.C. Section 135 (Statewide Planning), and contains enumerated modes of transportation. Deletes high speed railroads as a component of the plan. (b) Requires TxDOT, in addition to planning factors outlined in Subsection (a), in developing the plan to: (1) seek written and oral comments from representatives of airlines, maritime, shipping, and railroad industries in this state; (2) consider issues raised by staffor representatives of, the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University, the Center for Transportation Research at the University of Texas at Austin, and any other transportation bodies in the state; (3) develop recommendations concerning transportation linkages between statewide transportation facilities and national and international markets; (4) develop recommendations concerning transportation linkages between rural communities, the border region and national and international markets; (5) develop strategies to make the state's Gulf Coast ports the ports of choice in the United States; (6) develop a strategy to eliminate congestion at international border crossings in this state; (7) address and recommend means to facilitate access to ports located on the Pacific Coast of Mexico; and (8) address funding for the plan. Makes a conforming change. SECTION 2. Amends Subchapter H, Chapter 201, Transportation Code, by adding Section 201.613, as follows: Sec.201.613. TRANSPORTATION PLAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE. (a) Defines "border region." (b) Requires the Texas Transportation Commission (commission) to appoint a transportation plan advisory committee to coordinate and oversee the development of the statewide transportation plan. Requires the commission, in making appointments to the advisory committee, to appoint members who represent transportation interests and who come from different geographic regions of the state. Provides that at least one member must be a resident of the border region. (c) Provides that a member of the advisory committee serves at the will of the commission. (d) Provides that a member of the committee is not entitled to compensation for serving as a member but is entitled to reimbursement for reasonable expenses incurred while conducting the committee's business. (e) Provides that the advisory committee is subject to Chapter 2110 (State Agency Advisory Committees), Government Code, except as provided by this section. SECTION 3. Requires TxDOT to complete the plan as required by Section 201.601 no later than January 1, 2001, and submit the plan to the governor and the legislature. SECTION 4. Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 5. Emergency clause. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE C.S.H.B. 1918 differs from the original bill in the caption by removing reference to creation of the Stae Transportation Council. C.S.H.B. 1918 differs from the original bill in SECTION 1 by amending Section 201.601, Transportation Code, rather than establishing an Act. In Section 201.601, the substitute adds a reference to 23 U.S.C. Section 135 to Subsection (a), deletes the existing Subsection (b), and adds a new Subsection (b), redesignated from SECTION 7 of the original bill. In proposed Subdivision (b)(2), the substitute adds a reference to the Center for Transportation Research at the University of Texas at Austin and removes reference to TxDOT. C.S.H.B. 1918 differs from the original bill in SECTION 2 by adding proposed Section 201.613, Transportation Code. The substitute redesignates SECTION 1 of the original bill as proposed Subsection (a). The substitute adds new Subsections (b) and (c) as follows: (b) Requires the commission to appoint a transportation plan advisory committee to coordinate and oversee the development of the statewide transportation plan. Requires the commission, in making appointment to the advisory committee, to appoint members who represent transportation interests and who come from different geographic regions of the state. Provides that at least one member must be a resident of the border region. (c) Provides that a member of the advisory committee serves at the will of the commission. The substitute redesignates SECTION 5 in the original bill as proposed Section 201.613(d). The substitute adds a new Subsection (e), as follows: (e) Provides that the advisory committee is subject to Chapter 2110 (State Agency Advisory Committees), Government Code, except as provided by this section. The substitute redesignates SECTION 8 of the original bill as SECTION 3, and makes conforming changes. The substitute redesignates SECTIONS 9 (effective date) and 11 (energy clause) of the original bill as SECTION 4 and 5, respectively, and deletes SECTIONS 2, 3, 4, 6, and 10 of the original bill.