HBA-TBM C.S.H.B. 2909 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 2909
By: Hawley
Transportation
4/12/2001
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) authorizes future highway
construction projects based on projected federal funding.  The projects are
then awarded to individual contractors based on a competitive bidding
process.  The bidding and contracting process would be enhanced and the
public would have greater access to highway funding information if the
contracts were listed on TxDOT's Internet website.  C.S.H.B. 2909 requires
that information regarding each contract for road construction projects
authorized by TxDOT be made available on its Internet website.   

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

C.S.H.B. 2909 amends the Transportation Code to require the Texas
Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to make available on its website a
listing describing each contract awarded by the Texas Transportation
Commission for a highway construction project.  The listing must include
for each project the funding program source contract awardee and each TxDOT
transportation district in which the contract will be performed.   

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 2909 differs from the original by providing information that each
listing for a project must include.