Bill Text: TX HB3852 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to information technologies to enhance the efficiency, useful life and global competitiveness of Texas' international commercial freight infrastructure.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-03-21 - Referred to International Trade & Intergovernmental Affairs [HB3852 Detail]
Download: Texas-2013-HB3852-Introduced.html
| By: Anchia | H.B. No. 3852 | |
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| relating to information technologies to enhance the efficiency, | ||
| useful life and global competitiveness of Texas' international | ||
| commercial freight infrastructure. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Section 201, Transportation Code, | ||
| is amended by adding Section 201.051(k) to read as follows: | ||
| Section 201.051(k) Upon assuming their duties, or as soon | ||
| as possible thereafter, the members shall be briefed by staff and | ||
| appropriate experts from partner agencies, academia and the private | ||
| sector, about information technology applications and strategies | ||
| to reduce congestion, enhance efficiency, and minimize the | ||
| environmental impacts of international commercial freight | ||
| operations on Texas transportation infrastructure, and the | ||
| technology-enabled opportunities to optimize performance, boost | ||
| the state's return on investment from and extend the useful life of | ||
| existing highway infrastructure. | ||
| SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Section 201, Transportation Code, | ||
| is amended by adding Section 201.051(l) to read as follows: | ||
| Section 201.051(l) One member shall be designated the | ||
| state's chief trade technology advocate, by vote of the members. | ||
| The chief trade technology advocate shall support the director and | ||
| his staff in the review, testing, development, funding and adoption | ||
| of proven, safe, cost-effective information technologies to | ||
| enhance the efficiency of international commercial vehicle and | ||
| infrastructure performance, boost fuel efficiency, reduce | ||
| congestion and vehicle emissions, and strengthen the | ||
| competitiveness of the Texas transportation system in the global | ||
| transportation and logistics marketplace. | ||
| SECTION 3. Section 201.947 is amended to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 201.947. STRATEGIC PLAN. The commission may not issue | ||
| obligations under this subchapter before the department has | ||
| developed a strategic plan that outlines how the money will be used, | ||
| identifies information technology strategies to optimize the | ||
| state's return on investment in new highway capacity, and the | ||
| benefit the state will derive from use of money in the fund. | ||
| SECTION 4. Subchapter H, Section 201, Transportation Code, | ||
| is amended by adding Section 201.623 to read as follows: | ||
| Section 201.623. INTERMODAL FREIGHT DATA SHARING TASK | ||
| FORCE. (a) In this section, "task force" means the Intermodal | ||
| Freight Data Sharing Task Force. | ||
| (b) The Director shall establish an Intermodal Freight Data | ||
| Sharing Task Force to develop, finance and implement a statewide, | ||
| intermodal freight data sharing system enabling commercial vehicle | ||
| operators to access and make maximum use of public travel | ||
| information and data using widely available information and | ||
| communications technologies, including but not limited to | ||
| geographic position systems (GPS), tablet computers and smart | ||
| phones, to maximize the efficiency, useful life and global | ||
| competitiveness of Texas' international commercial vehicle freight | ||
| infrastructure, and to make Texas the world's most efficient, high | ||
| performance infrastructure and logistics platform for interstate, | ||
| intercontinental, and international cargo services. | ||
| (c) In addition to the director, the Task Force shall | ||
| consist of representatives of the Texas Department of Public | ||
| Safety, the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, U.S. Department of | ||
| Transportation, Texas' transportation research institutions, | ||
| freight and logistics companies, and other key stakeholders with an | ||
| interest in intermodal commercial freight efficiency, emissions | ||
| reduction, congestion mitigation and other performance issues. | ||
| (d) To fulfill its mission, the task force shall study, | ||
| identify, test and recommend a cost-effective strategy for the | ||
| development and funding of the technology platform needed to | ||
| deliver an intermodal freight data sharing system as accessible as | ||
| possible to all participants | ||
| in Texas' freight community, including | ||
| small logistics and freight businesses, taking full advantage of | ||
| best practices from other jurisdictions, innovative finance | ||
| options, and other innovations, with a view to fully capitalizing | ||
| upon information technology to extract maximum return on investment | ||
| in Texas existing transportation infrastructure. | ||
| (e) No later than December 31, 2014, the Task Force shall | ||
| publish its findings and strategic recommendations, including | ||
| selected case studies from other nations, and a strategic plan to | ||
| boost cargo volumes served by international commercial vehicle | ||
| operations in Texas by 20% by the year 2025, and reduce commercial | ||
| vehicle emissions by 5%. | ||
| (f) Prior to the publication of its recommendations, the | ||
| Task Force shall convene a work group of experts from the foreign | ||
| transportation agencies representing jurisdictions recognized by | ||
| the international freight and logistics industries as the leading | ||
| nations for technology-enabled commercial freight innovation, to | ||
| review and offer insights on task force recommendations, and | ||
| include these in the final report. | ||
| SECTION 5. Section 201.991 is amended to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 201.991. UNIFIED TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM. (a) The | ||
| department shall develop a unified transportation program covering | ||
| a period of 10 years to guide the development of and authorize | ||
| construction of transportation projects. The program must: | ||
| (1) annually identify target funding levels; and | ||
| (2) list all projects that the department intends to | ||
| develop or begin construction of during the program period. | ||
| (b) The commission shall adopt rules that: | ||
| (1) specify the criteria for selecting projects to be | ||
| included in the program; | ||
| (2) define program funding categories, including | ||
| categories for safety, maintenance, and mobility; [and] | ||
| (3) define each phase of a major transportation | ||
| project, including the planning, programming, implementation, and | ||
| construction phases;[.]and | ||
| (4) establish a threshold requirement that any project | ||
| selected for the program which exceeds $1,000,000 in total cost | ||
| first be reviewed for potential cost-savings and performance | ||
| improvements achievable for international freight movements | ||
| through the use of commercial freight information systems and | ||
| technologies, a simple procedure for certifying the completion of | ||
| this review, a report for signature by the chief trade technology | ||
| advocate, briefly summarizing the planning alternative, if any, | ||
| identified through this review. | ||
| SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
| a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
| provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
| Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
| Act takes effect September 1, 2013. | ||
