HBA-NRS C.S.S.B. 195 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.S.B. 195 By: Lucio Transportation 5/11/2001 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE In 1999, the Texas Transportation Commission (commission) established a temporary Border Trade Transportation Task Force to prioritize existing border transportation projects needed to handle increased international trade. C.S.S.B. 195 establishes a Border Trade Advisory Committee as an official advisory committee to the commission. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking authority is expressly delegated to the Texas Transportation Commission in SECTION 1 (Section 201.114, Transportation Code) of this bill. ANALYSIS C.S.S.B. 195 amends the Transportation Code to require the Texas Transportation Commission (commission) to establish the Border Trade Advisory Committee (committee) to define and to develop a strategy and to make recommendations to the commission for addressing the highest priority border trade transportation challenges. In determining action to be taken on the recommendations, the bill requires the commission to consider the importance of trade with the United Mexican States, the potential sources of infrastructure funding at border ports, and the value of trade activity in the Texas Department of Transportation's districts adjacent to the border with the United Mexican States. The bill authorizes the commission to adopt rules governing the committee. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE C.S.S.B. 195 modifies the original bill by removing the provision that exempted the Border Trade Advisory Committee from the provisions that require a state agency that is advised by an advisory committee to establish by rule a date on which the committee will automatically be abolished.