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Amend CSHB 300 (house committee printing) be adding the
following appropriately numbered SECTION to ARTICLE 1 of the bill
and renumbering subsequent SECTIONS of that article accordingly:
SECTION 1.____. Subchapter H, Chapter 201, Transportation
Code, is amended by adding Section 201.6041 to read as follows:
Sec. 201.6041. ALTERNATIVES TO TOLLING; REPORT. (a)
Before the department may enter into a contract for the
construction of a tolled highway project, the department must
submit to the legislature a report summarizing the findings of the
draft environmental impact statement or other similar statement
under Section 201.604, as applicable, associated with the project
that relate to the comparison of the advantages and disadvantages
of pursuing the project as a tolled highway project instead of a
nontolled highway project or any other alternatives.
(b) The report must demonstrate that:
(1) in preparing the draft environmental impact
statement or similar document, as applicable, the department fully
complied with the requirements of:
(A) the National Environmental Policy Act (42
U.S.C. Section 4321 et seq.) or Section 201.604 of this code, as
applicable; and
(B) applicable state and federal guidelines
regarding the analysis of data and information;
(2) the department has afforded meaningful
involvement to, and given consideration to input from, local
elected officials and the public; and
(3) the selected tolled highway project is the most
cost-effective and least environmentally harmful alternative.
(c) The department shall provide the report required by this
section to:
(1) the lieutenant governor;
(2) the speaker of the house of representatives; and
(3) the presiding officer of the standing committees
of the senate and the house of representatives with jurisdiction
over transportation issues.
(d) A report under this section must be provided to the
legislature not later than December 1 of each even-numbered year.
The department may not enter into a contract for the construction of
a tolled highway project that is included in a report under this
section before July 1 of the year that follows the year the report
is provided.