HJR 99 (Canales/Nichols) proposing a constitutional amendment authorizing a county to finance the development or redevelopment of transportation or infrastructure in unproductive, underdeveloped, or blighted areas in the county; authorizing the issuance of bonds and notes. The ballot proposal will be presented to voters at an election on November 2, 2021.
HB 1116 (Thompson/Alvarado) provides that a toll collected pursuant to an agreement with a toll project entity other than the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) would be governed by the fee and fine structure of the entity issuing the initial toll invoice. Except as provided above, an entity operating a toll lane under a comprehensive development agreement would have, with regard to toll collection and enforcement, the same powers and duties as TxDOT under state law governing state highway toll projects. The bill was filed without the Governor’s signature and is effective immediately.
HB 1698 (Raney/Schwertner) amends current law relating to authorizing an optional county fee on vehicle registration in certain counties to be used for transportation projects. The bill was sent to the Governor on 5/31.
HB 2086 (Morales/Hughes) amends current law relating to appeals from an interlocutory order denying a motion for summary judgment by certain contractors. The bill was sent to the Governor on 5/31.
HB 2116 (Krause/Powell) amends the Civil Practice and Remedies Code relating to certain agreements by architects and engineers in or in connection with certain construction contracts. The bill was sent to the Governor on 5/31.
HB 2219 (Canales/Nichols) authorizes the Texas Transportation Commission to issue obligations secured by and payable from a pledge of and lien on all or part of the money in the Texas Mobility Fund, for a maturity up to 30 years. Obligations may be issued to pay the costs of constructing, acquiring, and expanding state highways, to provide state payments for the costs of constructing and providing publicly owned toll roads and other public transportation projects, and on debt service or other costs. The bill was sent to the Governor on 5/31.
HB 2223 (Canales/Nichols) amends current law relating to a study by the Texas Department of Transportation on the impact of certain classifications of motor vehicle on the roads and bridges of this state. The bill was sent to the Governor on 5/24.
HB 2581 (Kacal/Hancock) requires the disclosure of scoring methodologies and bid evaluations and requiring the weighted value assigned to price for certain projects to be at least 50 percent of the total weighted value of all selection criteria. The bill was sent to the Governor on 5/26.
SB 219 (Hughes/Leach) amends the Business and Commerce Code to limit a contractor from liability related to the accuracy, adequacy, sufficiency, or suitability of plans, specifications, or other design documents provided to the contractor by a person other than the contractor’s agents, contractors, fabricators, or suppliers, or its consultants, of any tier.
A contractor would be required to disclose in writing to the person with whom the contractor enters into a contract the existence of any known defect in the plans, specifications, or other design documents discovered by the contractor before or during construction.
Amends the Business and Commerce Code to make the subchapter on contractor responsibility inapplicable to certain contacts for the construction or repair of certain critical infrastructure facilities. The bill, under certain circumstances, would also not apply to the construction, repair, alteration, or remodeling of certain improvements to real property.
The bill would amend the Civil Practice and Remedies Code to provide that a construction contract for architectural or engineering services or a contract related to the construction or repair of an improvement to real property that contains certain services as a component part must require the services be performed with the professional skill and care ordinarily provided by competent architects or engineers practicing under the same or similar circumstances and professional license. The bill was sent to the Governor on 6/01.
SB 374 (Seliger/Shine) amends current law relating to municipal annexation of certain rights-of-way; restores cities’ ability to complete their annexation process by allowing a state road right-of-way to be included in their annexation authority. The bill was sent to the Governor on 5/29.
SB 507 (Nichols/Hinojosa) would require the Texas Transportation Commission by rule to establish an accommodation process that authorized broadband-only providers to use state highway rights-of-way, subject to highway purposes. The bill was sent to the Governor on 5/29.
SB 1270 (Seliger/Thompson) address the procurement of certain goods and services related to highways by the Texas Department of Transportation. The bill provides a remedy to the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) prolonged low-bid process by expediting their procurement process, resulting in quicker repairs and maintenance times. The bill was sent to the Governor on 5/26.
SB 1727 (Nichols/Ashby) prohibits Harris County from creating a local government corporation to develop, construct, operate, manage, or finance a toll project or system and by dissolving any existing local government corporations created by Harris County for those purposes. The bill was sent to the Governor on 5/20.
SB 1814 (Seliger/Martinez) removes outdated oversize and overweight permit bond requirements. However, oversize and overweight permit bonds will continue for operators not required to register as a motor carrier. The bill was sent to the Governor on 5/24.
