HBA-MPA H.B. 1943 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1943 By: Siebert Transportation 4/18/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, the Texas Turnpike Authority Division (TTAD) of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is authorizes to pool two or more turnpike projects located within a metropolitan planning organization after conducting a public hearing and obtaining approval from the Texas Transportation Commission. Pooling of projects refers to combining the projects primarily for financial purposes, so that revenues from one may help to support another. This increases the flexibility and the resources available to TTAD to study and design turnpike projects. Some turnpike projects extend beyond the boundaries of a single metropolitan planning organization. The current restriction on pooling projects more than one time may unreasonably restrict the benefits of pooling and may undermine the full development of turnpike systems within the state. H.B. 1943 enables TTAD to pool turnpike projects located within the boundaries of a single metropolitan planning organization or within two adjacent TxDOT engineering districts, and removes the restriction on only being able to pool a project one time. 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 361.331, Transportation Code, to authorize the Texas Turnpike Authority to designate as a pooled turnpike project two or more turnpike projects that are wholly or partly located within the boundaries of a metropolitan planning organization, or two adjacent Texas Department of Transportation districts, after conducting a public hearing in each affected county and obtaining the approval of the Texas Transportation Commission. Deletes provision prohibiting a turnpike project from being pooled more than once. Makes conforming and nonsubstantive changes. SECTION 2.Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.