Senate Committee on Transportation - 85th R.S. (2017)

Committee:	Senate Transportation
Title:	Interim Report
Subjects:	Federal funds | Fines | Highway finance | Highways | Houston Ship Channel | Human trafficking | Hurricane Harvey | Ports | Toll roads | Traffic violations | Transportation planning |
Library Call Number:	L1836.85 T685
Session:	85th R.S. (2017)
Online version:	View report [70 pages]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	Study the impact of Hurricane Harvey on the state’s transportation infrastructure and make recommendations on how best to rebuild assets efficiently and effectively.
2.	Funding Opportunities for Texas Ports: Review the state's appropriations for Texas' ports and the Ship Channel Improvement Revolving Fund and make recommendations for increased investment to meet future needs.
3.	Project Acceleration: Study and make recommendations regarding segregating state and federal transportation funding to accelerate project delivery.
4.	Toll Road Penalties: Review penalty practices employed by toll authorities throughout the state and make recommendations to improve customer service and eliminate unjustified penalties.
5.	Human Smuggling: Examine the anti-smuggling efforts of governmental and non-governmental entities under the committee's jurisdiction. Compare the findings to best practices in other states and make recommendations to help advance efforts in the fight against human smuggling.
6.	Highway Naming: Review the state's policy related to the naming of state highways for individuals and make recommendations to limit and reform the criteria of such designations.
7.	Monitoring Charge: Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on Transportation during the 85th Legislatu re, Regular Session and make recommendations for any legislation needed to improve, enhance, and/ or complete implementation. Specifically, monitor the following: • Implementation of statutory changes specified in the Texas Department of Transportation's (TxDOT) sunset legislation. 1) requiring toll road entities to use toll revenue to pay back TxDOT for grants used to construct toll roads. 2) prohibiting TxDOT from operating or transferring a HOV lane as a tolled lane. 3) authorizing TxDOT to convert non-tolled lanes as toll lanes - only if the number of non-tolled lanes is greater than or equal to the number in existence before the toll conversion project. 4) prohibiting TxDOT from awarding contracts unless the contractor participates in E-verify; and • Progress of the Texas Department of Transportation's (TxDOT) efforts to issue an annual permit for transporting overweight, sealed intermodal shipping containers on TxDOT approved routes within 30 miles of a port of entry or an international bridge.

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