| 1 | 1 | | 84R11274 JRR-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Huffines S.B. No. 1607 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to five-year signature transportation projects of the |
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| 8 | 8 | | Texas Department of Transportation. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter H, Chapter 201, Transportation Code, |
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| 11 | 11 | | is amended by adding Section 201.623 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 201.623. FIVE-YEAR SIGNATURE TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS. |
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| 13 | 13 | | (a) The department shall designate as a five-year signature |
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| 14 | 14 | | transportation project: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (1) one transportation project that will be completed |
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| 16 | 16 | | not later than August 31, 2020; and |
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| 17 | 17 | | (2) one transportation project that will: |
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| 18 | 18 | | (A) begin no earlier than the completion of the |
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| 19 | 19 | | project designated under Subdivision (1); and |
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| 20 | 20 | | (B) be completed not later than the earlier of |
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| 21 | 21 | | five years after the date the project began or August 31, 2025. |
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| 22 | 22 | | (b) A five-year signature transportation project designated |
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| 23 | 23 | | under Subsection (a): |
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| 24 | 24 | | (1) must be given priority for department resources, |
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| 25 | 25 | | including available funding and staff time, over other department |
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| 26 | 26 | | projects; |
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| 27 | 27 | | (2) must use existing rights-of-way; |
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| 28 | 28 | | (3) may not contain any form of tolls or managed lanes; |
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| 29 | 29 | | (4) may not be financed through the issuance of debt; |
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| 30 | 30 | | and |
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| 31 | 31 | | (5) must directly impact not less than 20 percent of |
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| 32 | 32 | | department districts. |
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| 33 | 33 | | (c) The department shall work with the federal government to |
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| 34 | 34 | | obtain all necessary approvals or waivers of required approvals in |
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| 35 | 35 | | order to ensure that each five-year signature transportation |
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| 36 | 36 | | project is complete by the deadlines described by Subsection (a). |
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| 37 | 37 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 38 | 38 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 39 | 39 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 40 | 40 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 41 | 41 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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