HBA-NRS H.B. 41 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 41
By: McClendon
Transportation
4/12/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

In the report "Paving the Way," the office of the comptroller of public
accounts recommends an increase in the number of members of the Texas
Transportation Commission (commission). An increase in the number of
members would diversify the geographic areas of the state represented by
the commission, allow members to develop expertise on certain issues and
increase the public's accessibility to individual members. House Bill 41
increases the size of the commission from three to five members. 

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. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 41 amends the Transportation Code to increase the size of the
Texas Transportation Commission (commission) from three to five members.
The bill requires that appointments to the commission be made so that each
geographic area of the state is represented. Furthermore, the bill provides
that members of the commission serve staggered six-year terms, with the
terms of either one or two members expiring February 1 of each odd-numbered
year.  

Promptly after this Act takes effect, the governor is required to appoint
two additional members to the commission, with one to serve a term expiring
February 1, 2005, and one to serve a term expiring February 1, 2007. This
Act does not prohibit a person who is a member of the commission on the
effective date of this Act from being reappointed to the commission if the
member has the required qualifications for reappointment.  

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2001.