HBA-RAR H.B. 675 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 675
By: Thompson
Urban Affairs
2/19/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, Chapter 451 (Metropolitan Rapid Transit Authorities) and Chapter
452 (Regional Transportation Authorities), Transportation Code, authorize
the creation of metropolitan transportation authorities (MTAs).  MTAs have
been created in seven urban areas of the state: Austin, Corpus Christi,
Dallas, El Paso,  Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio.  The El Paso MTA is
the only MTA that is not comprised of certain "units of election" in
addition to the principal municipality.  Of the remaining MTAs, all but the
Harris County Metropolitan Transit Authority (METRO) and Corpus Christi
Regional Transportation Authority have provisions that allow units of
election to withdraw from an MTA. The Harris County METRO includes 14 units
of election. H.B. 675 provides units of election in the Harris County MTA
with the ability to withdraw from the authority in accordance with Section
451.617, Transportation Code (Withdrawal: Alternative Method for Certain
Authorities). 

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 451.617, Transportation Code, as follows:

Sec. 451.617.  WITHDRAWAL:  ALTERNATIVE METHOD FOR CERTAIN
AUTHORITIES. (a)  Provides that in a rapid transit authority (authority)
created before 1980 in which the principal municipality has a population of
750,000 or more, rather than less than 1.2 million, a unit of election,
other than the principal municipality, is authorized to withdraw from the
authority by a vote of the majority of the registered voters, in addition
to any other manner provided by law.  

(e)  Provides that Subsection (f) is an exception to the existing text.
Makes a 
 nonsubstantive change.  

(f)  Prohibits an authority created before 1980 in which the principal
municipality has a population greater than 1.6 million from holding an
election under this section before  the sixth anniversary of the most
recent election held under this section. 

SECTION 2.  Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.