Bill
HB 3302
84(R) - 2015
House Transportation
House Transportation
Transportation & Infrastructure
Vote Recommendation
Yes
-
Neutral
-
Neutral
-
Neutral
-
Positive
-
Neutral
Author(s)
Drew Darby
Bill Caption
Relating to highway landscaping projects.
Fiscal Notes
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
Bill Analysis
This legislation would amend the Transportation Code to require the Texas Department of Transportation
(TxDOT) to create guidelines for highway landscaping on state rights of way that require the
use of native or regionally appropriate plants. The bill requires TxDOT to allocate funds to these districts for landscaping improvements for each highway project involving the
expenditure of $5 million or more. The bill would allow TxDOT, to consider financial assistance from a political subdivision or private organization for
landscaping improvements before allocating funding for these projects.
Vote Recommendation Notes
We support this legislation under the limited government principle. This legislation would require TxDOT to work with a political subdivision or private organization for landscaping improvements, in lieu of spending state funding first, which under current law is a contractual percentage of allocated funding, which increases the potential for wasteful spending. We support this legislation for its commitment to limiting government and working with local municipalities to work to preserve and beautify our right of ways.