By: Carona S.B. No. 384
(In the Senate - Filed December 19, 2008; February 17, 2009,
read first time and referred to Committee on Transportation and
Homeland Security; March 20, 2009, reported favorably by the
following vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0; March 20, 2009, sent to printer.)
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the promotion of toll projects by the Texas Department
of Transportation.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 228.004, Transportation Code, is amended
to read as follows:
Sec. 228.004. [PROMOTION OF] TOLL PROJECT INFORMATION.
(a) The department may, notwithstanding Chapter 2113, Government
Code, engage in marketing, advertising, and other activities to
provide information relating to the status of pending or ongoing
[promote the development and use of] toll projects and may enter
into contracts or agreements necessary to procure marketing,
advertising, or informational [other promotional] services from
outside service providers.
(b) This section does not authorize the department to engage
in marketing, advertising, or other activities for the purpose of
influencing public opinion about the use of toll roads or the use of
tolls as a financial mechanism.
SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only
to a contract or agreement entered into or renewed under Section
228.004, Transportation Code, on or after the effective date of
this Act. A contract or agreement entered into or renewed under
that section before the effective date of this Act is governed by
the law in effect immediately before that date, and that law is
continued in effect for that purpose.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.
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