HBA-MPA C.S.H.B. 3402 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 3402
By: Hardcastle
Transportation
4/30/1999
Committee Report (Substituted)




BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

According to a study conducted by the Texas Association of Aircraft Owners
and Pilots, Texas has one of the highest levels of aviation activity in the
nation.  More than 48,000 pilots live in the state and more than 23,000
aircraft are based here.  In addition, several types of aircraft are
manufactured in Texas and both national and international commercial
airlines are based  in the state.  The annual economic impact of civil
aviation in Texas approaches $50 billion and provides jobs for more than
650,000 state residents.   

A significant number of general aviation airports in the state are in poor
condition.  Many of these airports were built years ago and are not
designed to the standards required by today's corporate aircraft.  These
airports have runways that are not of sufficient length, width, or strength
to serve business jet aircraft.  Many have poor quality pavement, and few
have adequate public facilities for business travelers.  Many communities
do not have the local tax base to develop and maintain their airport and
little money is available from the state and federal government to upgrade
and improve these facilities.  In the past, the primary source of money
available for airport development has been the Federal Aviation Trust Fund.
C.S.H.B. 3402 establishes an aviation development account in the
Transportation Code for publicly owned airports and airport development for
the purposes of economic development or safety efforts. 

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, Subchapter A, Chapter 21, Transportation Code, by adding
Section 21.0041, as follows:  

Sec. 21.0041.  AVIATION DEVELOPMENT ACCOUNT.  (a) Provides that the
aviation development account  is an account in the state highway fund.   

(b) Authorizes the money in this account to be appropriated only to the
Texas Department of Transportation to make loans or grants under Chapter 21
(Administration of Aeronautics) to meet transportation needs in support of
economic development or safety efforts.  

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 3402 differs from the original bill in the caption by specifying
that this Act relates to the creation of the aviation development account
in the state highway fund, rather than the development of airports 
 

C.S.H.B. 3402 differs from the original bill in SECTION 1 by replacing the
original provision in proposed Section 21.101(c), Transportation Code, with
a new Section 21.0041, Transportation Code, to provide that the aviation
development account  is an account in the state highway fund, and authorize
the money in this account to be appropriated only to the Texas Department
of Transportation to make loans or grants under this chapter to meet
transportation needs in support of economic development or safety efforts.