Legislative Affairs

2007 Legislative Agenda

• Validation of actions by port governing bodies
  Provides that government acts and proceedings of ports and local government corporations of ports become valid on their second anniversary.
• Disclosure
  Apply same disclosure rules to ports as other Texas governmental entities.
• Freight rail funding
  Fund freight rail relocation and improvements with funds railroads already pay to the state in taxes and fees, rather than new sources of revenue that are harmful to ports and freight interests.
• General Port Bill
  • Representative of Executive Director: Technical changes to allow a duly authorized representative of the port to fulfill some administrative duties instead of the commissioners or executive director.
  • Procurement Clarification: Clarifies that competitive sealed proposals (CSP) can be used for construction and non-construction items.
  • Tie Routine Purchases to 60.403(a): Standardizes the language for routine purchases and contracts under $25,000.
  • Surplus Property: Gives ports the same power to dispose of surplus or salvage property as a county under Chapter 263, Subchapter D, Local Government Code.
• Jones Act lawsuit abuse
  Frivolous lawsuits are driving up the cost of dredging, thereby making it impossible to fund many navigation projects. Texas Ports Association supports the dredging industry's efforts to remove venue shopping exemption for Jones Act cases.
• Freeport/Goods in transit
  Expand the freeport and goods-in-transit exemptions up to 270 days, from the current limit of 175 days.
• Designation of port police as peace officers
  Provide for peace officer status for port police officers.