Bill > SB2324

This bill modifies Texas transportation law regarding toll projects and their eventual transition to non-toll status. The bill establishes a process for when and how toll roads will cease collecting tolls, primarily when the project's construction costs and associated bonds have been fully paid. Specifically, once a toll project meets these financial criteria, it will transition to one of three maintenance scenarios: (1) becoming part of the state highway system if the Legislative Budget Board determines the state has resources to maintain it, (2) becoming part of the county road system if the county requests and receives approval, or (3) continuing to be maintained without tolls by the existing toll project entity. The bill removes previous provisions allowing surplus revenue from one toll project to be used for another and requires toll project entities to publish detailed annual financial reports. Additionally, the legislation mandates that the Texas Department of Transportation conduct a comprehensive study by September 1, 2026, identifying all state toll roads, their projected toll-cessation dates, and the estimated maintenance costs for integrating these roads into the state or county transportation systems. The bill repeals several existing sections of the Transportation Code related to toll project financing and revenue management, signaling a significant restructuring of how toll projects are handled in Texas.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=SB2324