Bill Text: TX HB4422 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to a study on enhancing border security outcomes through public safety, technological, and transportation infrastructure improvements near Texas-Mexico border crossings.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 12-3)
Status: (Passed) 2023-05-27 - Effective immediately [HB4422 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB4422-Enrolled.html
| H.B. No. 4422 | ||
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| relating to a study on enhancing border security outcomes through | ||
| public safety, technological, and transportation infrastructure | ||
| improvements near Texas-Mexico border crossings. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. DEFINITION. In this Act, "department" means the | ||
| Texas Department of Transportation. | ||
| SECTION 2. STUDY. (a) The department shall conduct a study | ||
| on public safety, border security, and transportation | ||
| infrastructure from Texas-Mexico border crossings onto the state | ||
| highway system to ensure safe, efficient, and streamlined | ||
| commercial motor vehicle connectivity that amplify Operation Lone | ||
| Star efforts. | ||
| (b) The department shall conduct the study in consultation | ||
| with: | ||
| (1) the Department of Public Safety of the State of | ||
| Texas; | ||
| (2) the Texas Military Department; | ||
| (3) the Texas A&M Transportation Institute; | ||
| (4) local law enforcement agencies near the | ||
| Texas-Mexico border; | ||
| (5) representatives of county government from at least | ||
| three noncontiguous counties that are: | ||
| (A) adjacent to this state's international | ||
| border with Mexico; or | ||
| (B) adjacent to a county described by Paragraph | ||
| (A) of this subdivision; | ||
| (6) representatives of the transportation industry | ||
| determined relevant by the department; and | ||
| (7) an independent nonprofit applied research and | ||
| development organization selected by the department. | ||
| (c) As part the study, the department shall: | ||
| (1) select multiple Texas-Mexico international border | ||
| crossings that serve commercial vehicles, as determined by the | ||
| department; | ||
| (2) analyze current transportation routes for | ||
| commercial vehicles from border crossings selected under | ||
| Subdivision (1) of this subsection onto the state highway system | ||
| and identify ways to: | ||
| (A) strengthen border security initiatives that | ||
| support Operation Lone Star or similar state security efforts; | ||
| (B) support law enforcement response efforts | ||
| near border crossings to maximize: | ||
| (i) oversight of border crossings; | ||
| (ii) inspection of vehicles using the | ||
| border crossing; and | ||
| (iii) use of public safety resources; | ||
| (C) enhance transportation infrastructure and | ||
| road technology near border crossings to: | ||
| (i) maximize the safety of communities | ||
| located near the border and people using the highways near the | ||
| border; and | ||
| (ii) improve transportation efficiency and | ||
| commercial motor vehicle connectivity; and | ||
| (D) reduce traffic congestion along | ||
| transportation routes while mitigating safety concerns; | ||
| (3) consider possible future transportation routes | ||
| that will: | ||
| (A) improve efficiency in the movement of | ||
| commercial motor vehicles from border crossings onto the state | ||
| highway system; and | ||
| (B) enhance public safety, mitigate traffic | ||
| congestion, and streamline commercial motor vehicle connectivity; | ||
| (4) assess current technologies used to promote border | ||
| security efforts at commercial inspection facilities at or near | ||
| border crossings and identify upgrades to existing technologies or | ||
| alternative technologies that may improve border security efforts; | ||
| and | ||
| (5) identify funding strategies and determine the | ||
| amount of state money needed to improve the processing and flow of | ||
| commercial motor vehicles at border crossings and improve | ||
| transportation efficiency and commercial motor vehicle | ||
| connectivity. | ||
| SECTION 3. REPORT. Not later than December 1, 2024, the | ||
| department shall submit to the governor, the lieutenant governor, | ||
| and the legislature a written report on the findings of the study | ||
| conducted under this Act and any recommendations of the department. | ||
| The report must include a review of the anticipated effects of the | ||
| security and public safety improvements recommended by the study on | ||
| international trade efforts with Mexico. | ||
| SECTION 4. EXPIRATION. This Act expires January 1, 2025. | ||
| SECTION 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. 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, 2023. | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I certify that H.B. No. 4422 was passed by the House on April | ||
| 18, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 147, Nays 0, 1 present, not | ||
| voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| I certify that H.B. No. 4422 was passed by the Senate on May | ||
| 12, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| APPROVED: _____________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| _____________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
