| 1 | 1 | | 86R5259 JTS-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Harris H.B. No. 1370 |
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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 the creation of a joint interim committee on high-speed |
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| 8 | 8 | | rail development. |
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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. DEFINITIONS. In this Act: |
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| 11 | 11 | | (1) "Committee" means the joint interim committee on |
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| 12 | 12 | | high-speed rail development. |
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| 13 | 13 | | (2) "Department" means the Texas Department of |
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| 14 | 14 | | Transportation. |
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| 15 | 15 | | SECTION 2. CREATION OF JOINT INTERIM COMMITTEE. (a) The |
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| 16 | 16 | | joint interim committee on high-speed rail development is composed |
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| 17 | 17 | | of: |
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| 18 | 18 | | (1) three members of the house of representatives |
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| 19 | 19 | | appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; and |
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| 20 | 20 | | (2) three senators appointed by the lieutenant |
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| 21 | 21 | | governor. |
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| 22 | 22 | | (b) The speaker of the house of representatives and the |
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| 23 | 23 | | lieutenant governor shall make the appointments under Subsection |
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| 24 | 24 | | (a) of this section not later than the 60th day after the effective |
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| 25 | 25 | | date of this Act. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (c) The speaker of the house of representatives and the |
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| 27 | 27 | | lieutenant governor shall each designate a co-chair from among the |
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| 28 | 28 | | committee members. |
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| 29 | 29 | | (d) The committee shall convene at the joint call of the |
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| 30 | 30 | | co-chairs. |
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| 31 | 31 | | (e) The committee has all other powers and duties provided |
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| 32 | 32 | | to a special or select committee by the rules of the senate and |
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| 33 | 33 | | house of representatives, by Subchapter B, Chapter 301, Government |
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| 34 | 34 | | Code, and by policies of the senate and house committees on |
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| 35 | 35 | | administration. |
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| 36 | 36 | | SECTION 3. INTERIM STUDY REGARDING HIGH-SPEED RAIL. The |
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| 37 | 37 | | committee shall: |
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| 38 | 38 | | (1) evaluate the feasibility of creating a statewide |
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| 39 | 39 | | high-speed rail initiative through a public-private partnership; |
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| 40 | 40 | | and |
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| 41 | 41 | | (2) work with the department to develop a |
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| 42 | 42 | | comprehensive statewide strategy for the development of high-speed |
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| 43 | 43 | | rail in this state. |
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| 44 | 44 | | SECTION 4. REPORT. Not later than September 1, 2020, the |
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| 45 | 45 | | committee shall provide to the legislature a written report: |
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| 46 | 46 | | (1) addressing the feasibility of creating a statewide |
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| 47 | 47 | | high-speed rail initiative through a public-private partnership; |
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| 48 | 48 | | and |
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| 49 | 49 | | (2) proposing a comprehensive statewide strategy for |
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| 50 | 50 | | the high-speed rail development in this state. |
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| 51 | 51 | | SECTION 5. ABOLITION OF COMMITTEE. The committee created |
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| 52 | 52 | | by this Act is abolished and this Act expires January 1, 2021. |
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| 53 | 53 | | SECTION 6. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect |
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| 54 | 54 | | immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members |
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| 55 | 55 | | elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas |
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| 56 | 56 | | Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for |
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| 57 | 57 | | immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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