By: Anchia H.B. No. 3852
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
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.