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.