By: Nichols, Alvarado, Johnson S.B. No. 1555
(In the Senate - Filed February 21, 2025; March 6, 2025,
read first time and referred to Committee on Transportation;
March 17, 2025, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0; March 17, 2025,
sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1555 By: Nichols
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to a grant program to fund certain railroad grade
separation projects.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 471, Transportation Code, is amended by
adding Section 471.010 to read as follows:
Sec. 471.010. GRANT PROGRAM FOR CERTAIN RAILROAD GRADE
SEPARATION PROJECTS. (a) For the purpose of increasing public
safety, enhancing economic development, and reducing traffic, the
department shall establish and administer a program to award grants
to political subdivisions of this state to fund:
(1) rail-roadway grade separation projects that are
located at intersections of railroads and public roadways that are
not part of the state highway system; and
(2) rail-pedestrian grade separation projects that
are located at intersections of railroads and public pedestrian
crossings.
(b) Each grant awarded under this section must be approved
by the commission. The commission may not approve a grant under
this section unless the commission determines that at least 10
percent of the total project costs will be provided by a source
other than the state.
(c) The department may fund the grant program under this
section only from money appropriated by the legislature for that
purpose and from gifts and grants, including grants from the
federal government. The department may solicit and accept gifts
and grants from any source for the purposes of this section. Money
deposited to the credit of the state highway fund may not be used to
fund a grant awarded under this section.
(d) A political subdivision that receives a grant under this
section shall designate the department to manage contracting for,
in accordance with Subchapter A, Chapter 223, and supervision of
the planning and construction of a project for which the grant was
awarded. A political subdivision shall enter into an agreement
with the department prescribing the terms of a designation under
this subsection in accordance with applicable state or federal law.
The department, acting as the designee of a political subdivision
under this section, shall make each contract in accordance with the
law governing the making of contracts by or on behalf of the state.
(e) The commission shall adopt rules as necessary to
implement this section.
SECTION 2. Not later than October 1, 2025, the Texas
Transportation Commission shall adopt the rules required by Section
471.010, Transportation Code, as added by this Act.
SECTION 3. 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, 2025.
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