HBA-TYH H.B. 1980 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1980
By: Hill
Urban Affairs
3/15/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

When Section 456.008, Transportation Code, was enacted, metropolitan
transit authorities (MTAs) received state funding and were bound by the
reporting requirement.  Because MTAs no longer receive state funding, there
has been a question as to whether they must continue to prepare the
reports.  The performance measures currently listed in this section relate
directly to data required by the Federal Transit Administration for
urbanized operators.  The reporting information is necessary to assist the
Texas Department of Transportation in developing the state transportation
plan and is useful in performing rail or transportation corridor planning.

H.B. 1980 clarifies that MTAs are required to annually report performance
measures tracked by public transportation providers.  Also, since the
performance measures listed in the statute may be inappropriate or
burdensome for the rural systems, this bill authorizes the Texas
Transportation Commission (commission) to establish different performance
measures for different types of systems. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking
authority is expressly delegated to the Texas Transportation Commission in
SECTION 1 (Section 456.008, Transportation Code) of this bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 456.008(a) and (b), Transportation Code, as
follows: 

(a)  Requires the Texas Transportation Commission (commission) by rule to
prepare and issue a report on the performance of public transportation
providers in this state that received state or federal funding for the
previous year.  Requires the commission to issue a report at least once
each state fiscal year. 

(b)  Requires the commission to establish a performance-based reporting
system for all public transportation providers.  Authorizes the commission
to establish  for different sectors of the transit industry different
performance measures that assess the efficiency, effectiveness, and safety
of the public transportation providers.  Deletes text setting forth the
required elements of a report. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.