Abbott Signs Transportation Bills

AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott Tuesday hosted a ceremonial bill signing on the heliport at the Dallas Convention Center, where he discussed the investments in transportation infrastructure made this legislative session. The Governor previously declared transportation an emergency initiative in his State of the State address. One of the bills was co-sponsored by Sen. Robert Nichols of Jacksonville, who serves as chairman for the Senate Transportation Committee. Another was co-sponsored by State Sen. Bob Hall of Edgewood.

Overlooking the construction of new roadways in Dallas, Governor Abbott signed into law House Bills 20, 2612, and 1187, which support his call to invest more in transportation and keep commerce and commuters moving on Texas roads. In addition to signing the bills, the Governor touted his support of SJR 5, which seeks to constitutionally dedicate a portion of the state sales tax and motor vehicle sales tax to the state highway fund. SJR 5 will be put before voters in November 2015 and, if approved, would represent the single largest increase to transportation funding in the state’s history, according to a news release from Abbott’s office.

“At the outset of this legislative session, I called for investing in infrastructure and declared transportation an emergency item so the State of Texas could continue growing jobs, alleviate the strain on its roadways and allow Texans to lead more productive lives,” said Governor Abbott. “Today I’m proud to sign my transportation initiative into law to ensure we reduce congestion, increase safety, properly maintain our transportation system and keep Texans moving for decades to come.”

Here’s a rundown of the bills Abbott signed:

HB 20 (Simmons, R-Carrollton; Nichols, R-Jacksonville): Relating to creating a performance-based transportation planning process that will ensure this historic level of transportation funding is spent in a responsible, objective manner.

HB 2612 (Pickett, D-El Paso; Hall, R-Edgewood): Relating to the requirement that TxDOT conduct a thorough analysis on all TxDOT operated toll roads and present a plan to the legislature that will set us on a path to a toll free transportation system.

HB 1187 (Wray, R-Waxahachie; Birdwell, R-Granbury): Relating to the designation of a segment of U.S. Highway 287 in Midlothian as the “Chris Kyle Memorial Highway.”