BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.S.B. 1990

By: Miles

Transportation

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The Texas Legislature created the Gulf Coast Rail District to enhance the economic benefits of rail while improving quality of life in the Houston-Galveston region. With an anticipated addition of over 4 million people and roughly 1.5 million jobs by the year 2045, the eight-county region will see an influx of millions of additional trips on its transportation network. There have been calls to ensure that the district is able to use advanced transportation technologies in order to support the expected population growth of the region. C.S.S.B. 1990 seeks to address this issue by authorizing the district to provide advanced transportation services.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

C.S.S.B. 1990 amends the Transportation Code to authorize the governing bodies of the counties and of the municipality that created the Gulf Coast Rail District to provide that the district may provide advanced transportation, as defined by provisions relating to advanced transportation districts, by specifying in the concurrent order or ordinance creating the district that the district may provide those services.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2021.

COMPARISON OF SENATE ENGROSSED AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.S.B. 1990 may differ from the engrossed in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the engrossed and committee substitute versions of the bill.

Whereas the engrossed included powers related to advanced transportation technologies as powers the applicable governing bodies may provide that the district may exercise and specified that bus rapid transit and other modes of service are included in the applicable services and technologies, the substitute authorizes the governing bodies to provide that the district instead may provide advanced transportation, as defined by certain statutory provisions, by specifying in the concurrent order or ordinance creating the district that the district may do so.