HBA-NRS H.B. 699 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 699 By: Gutierrez Transportation 4/27/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Trade and travel between Mexico and the United States along the Texas-Mexico border (border) may be extremely time consuming and potentially dangerous. Because of the North American Free Trade Agreement, economic activity has increased significantly along the border. Border crossing procedures and pathways were not designed to accommodate the increase in trade-related traffic, resulting in delays and long lines for those crossing the border. House Bill 699 requires the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) along with the Center for Transportation Research at The University of Texas at Austin and the Texas Transportation Institute to develop recommendations concerning how state resources may be used to increase international trade in TxDOT's districts adjacent to the border of Mexico. 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 699 amends the Transportation Code to require the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to develop recommendations concerning how state resources may be used to increase international trade in TxDOT's districts adjacent to the border of Mexico. The recommendations are to be developed with the cooperation of the Center for Transportation Research at The University of Texas at Austin and the Texas Transportation Institute as a part of TxDOT's annual review of whether proposed road projects are adequate to handle the projected volume of highway traffic from trade with Mexico. The bill requires TxDOT to report the recommendations to the legislature not later than February 1 of each oddnumbered year. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.