| 6 | 4 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 5 | | relating to the financing of ports in the state. |
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| 8 | 6 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 7 | | SECTION 1. Section 55.001, Transportation Code, is amended |
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| 10 | 8 | | by adding Subdivision (4-a) to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 9 | | (4-a) "Port access improvement project" means the |
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| 12 | 10 | | construction or improvement of public roadways that will enhance |
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| 13 | 11 | | connectivity to ports. |
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| 14 | 12 | | SECTION 2. Section 55.002(e), Transportation Code, is |
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| 15 | 13 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 16 | 14 | | (e) The commission may use money from the Texas Mobility |
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| 17 | 15 | | Fund to provide funding for a port access improvement project[, |
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| 18 | 16 | | including through a loan, for a port security project, a port |
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| 19 | 17 | | transportation project, or a project eligible for funding under |
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| 20 | 18 | | Subsection (c)]. |
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| 21 | 19 | | SECTION 3. Section 55.006(a), Transportation Code, is |
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| 22 | 20 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 23 | 21 | | (a) The committee consists of nine [seven] members |
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| 24 | 22 | | appointed [by the commission. The members shall be appointed] as |
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| 25 | 23 | | follows: |
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| 26 | 24 | | (1) one member from the Port of Houston Authority |
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| 27 | 25 | | appointed by the commission; |
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| 28 | 26 | | (2) three members who represent maritime ports on the |
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| 29 | 27 | | upper Texas coast appointed by the commission; [and] |
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| 30 | 28 | | (3) three members who represent maritime ports on the |
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| 31 | 29 | | lower Texas coast appointed by the commission; |
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| 32 | 30 | | (4) one member appointed by the lieutenant governor; |
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| 33 | 31 | | and |
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| 34 | 32 | | (5) one member appointed by the speaker of the house of |
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| 35 | 33 | | representatives. |
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| 36 | 34 | | SECTION 4. Subtitle A, Title 4, Transportation Code, is |
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| 37 | 35 | | amended by adding Chapter 56 to read as follows: |
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| 38 | 36 | | CHAPTER 56. FUNDING OF SHIP CHANNEL IMPROVEMENTS |
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| 39 | 37 | | Sec. 56.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
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| 40 | 38 | | (1) "Commission" means the Texas Transportation |
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| 41 | 39 | | Commission. |
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| 42 | 40 | | (2) "Fund" means the ship channel improvement |
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| 43 | 41 | | revolving fund. |
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| 44 | 42 | | (3) "Navigation district" means a navigation district |
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| 45 | 43 | | created under Section 52, Article III, or Section 59, Article XVI, |
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| 46 | 44 | | Texas Constitution, and operating under Chapter 60, 61, 62, or 63, |
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| 47 | 45 | | Water Code. |
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| 48 | 46 | | Sec. 56.002. SHIP CHANNEL IMPROVEMENT REVOLVING FUND. |
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| 49 | 47 | | (a) The ship channel improvement revolving fund is an account in |
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| 50 | 48 | | the general revenue fund. The fund is administered by the |
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| 51 | 49 | | commission. |
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| 52 | 50 | | (b) The following money shall be credited to the fund: |
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| 53 | 51 | | (1) money the commission receives as a gift, grant, or |
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| 54 | 52 | | donation for a purpose of this chapter; |
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| 55 | 53 | | (2) money appropriated to the commission for the |
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| 56 | 54 | | purposes of this chapter; |
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| 57 | 55 | | (3) money received by the commission for the repayment |
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| 58 | 56 | | of a loan made by the program established under Section 56.003; and |
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| 59 | 57 | | (4) interest earned on deposits and investments of the |
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| 60 | 58 | | fund. |
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| 61 | 59 | | (c) Money in the fund may be appropriated only to the |
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| 62 | 60 | | commission for the purposes of administering the fund and the |
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| 63 | 61 | | program established under Section 56.003. |
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| 64 | 62 | | (d) The financial transactions of the fund are subject to |
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| 65 | 63 | | audit by the state auditor. |
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| 66 | 64 | | Sec. 56.003. REVOLVING LOAN PROGRAM. (a) The commission |
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| 67 | 65 | | by rule shall establish a revolving loan program to use money from |
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| 68 | 66 | | the fund to finance qualified projects for navigation districts. |
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| 69 | 67 | | (b) To be a qualified project, a project must: |
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| 70 | 68 | | (1) deepen or widen a ship channel; |
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| 71 | 69 | | (2) be authorized by the United States Congress; and |
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| 72 | 70 | | (3) meet any other standards provided by commission |
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| 73 | 71 | | rule. |
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| 74 | 72 | | (c) A project for maintenance dredging is not a qualified |
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| 75 | 73 | | project under this section. |
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| 76 | 74 | | SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 77 | 75 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 78 | 76 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 79 | 77 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 80 | 78 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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