| 1 | 1 | | By: Cook S.B. No. 2732 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 7 | 7 | | AN ACT |
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| 8 | 8 | | relating to public involvement procedures for the statewide |
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| 9 | 9 | | transportation improvement program. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter J, Chapter 201, Transportation Code, |
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| 12 | 12 | | is amended by adding Section 201.8115 to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 201.8115. PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT PROCEDURES FOR STATEWIDE |
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| 14 | 14 | | TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. (a) During the development of |
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| 15 | 15 | | the statewide transportation improvement program, the department |
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| 16 | 16 | | shall hold a quarterly public meeting in each department district |
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| 17 | 17 | | regarding the adoption of the proposed program. |
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| 18 | 18 | | (b) The department shall: |
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| 19 | 19 | | (1) publish notice of each meeting under Subsection |
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| 20 | 20 | | (a) in the Texas Register not later than the 15th day before the |
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| 21 | 21 | | date of the meeting; |
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| 22 | 22 | | (2) accept verbal public comments and questions during |
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| 23 | 23 | | each meeting held under Subsection (a); |
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| 24 | 24 | | (3) prepare a written debriefing assessment of: |
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| 25 | 25 | | (A) each meeting held under Subsection (a) that |
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| 26 | 26 | | summarizes the highlights or major accomplishments from the |
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| 27 | 27 | | meeting; and |
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| 28 | 28 | | (B) public verbal comments and questions |
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| 29 | 29 | | received under Subdivision (2) that summarizes the comments and |
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| 30 | 30 | | questions received and key points or issues raised in the comments; |
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| 31 | 31 | | (4) make the debriefing assessments required under |
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| 32 | 32 | | Subdivision (3) available to the public on the department's |
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| 33 | 33 | | Internet website or through e-mail distribution; |
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| 34 | 34 | | (5) develop a response mechanism that informs |
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| 35 | 35 | | stakeholders of ideas received from the public during the meeting |
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| 36 | 36 | | held under Subsection (a) or though verbal comments received under |
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| 37 | 37 | | Subdivision (2) that the department is incorporating into the |
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| 38 | 38 | | program and clearly communicates why alternate decisions are |
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| 39 | 39 | | required for ideas that the department does not incorporate into |
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| 40 | 40 | | the program; |
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| 41 | 41 | | (6) demonstrate explicit consideration and response |
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| 42 | 42 | | to public input during the development of the statewide |
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| 43 | 43 | | transportation improvement program; and |
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| 44 | 44 | | (7) inform the public of how the statewide |
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| 45 | 45 | | transportation improvement program interacts with local |
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| 46 | 46 | | transportation improvement planning, the timeline for that |
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| 47 | 47 | | planning, and how to obtain more information on that process. |
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| 48 | 48 | | (c) Before the department may consider project designs for |
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| 49 | 49 | | any transportation project included in the statewide |
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| 50 | 50 | | transportation improvement program, the department must hold a |
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| 51 | 51 | | meeting under Subsection (a) to discuss the project. |
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| 52 | 52 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 53 | 53 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 54 | 54 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 55 | 55 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 56 | 56 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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