Overall Vote Recommendation

Neutral

Principle Criteria

Free Enterprise

Property Rights

Personal Responsibility

Limited Government

Individual Liberty

Digest

HB 2775 modifies the composition of the I-27 Advisory Committee under Section 201.623(c) of the Texas Transportation Code. The advisory committee was originally established to provide input and recommendations regarding the development of the Interstate 27 corridor, a major infrastructure project aimed at improving transportation and economic opportunities across West Texas. This bill increases the number of county and city representatives on the committee and updates the list of represented counties and municipalities to better reflect the regions affected by the corridor’s expansion.

Specifically, the bill adds Ector County to the list of represented counties, increasing county membership from 10 to 11. It also adds the City of Odessa to the list of represented municipalities, expanding city representation from seven to eight members. Additionally, the structure retains three economic development professionals representing different geographic regions and three business representatives from the agriculture, international trade, and energy industries. These changes aim to ensure broader regional and economic representation in the decision-making process related to the I-27 project.

The expansion of the committee is intended to strengthen the advisory process by including a wider array of local voices and industry perspectives, helping to guide infrastructure planning in a way that supports economic development across multiple sectors.

The originally filed version of HB 2775 proposed expanding the I-27 Advisory Committee by adding Ector County to the list of represented counties, increasing the number of county representatives from 10 to 11. It also added Odessa to the list of represented municipalities, raising the number of city representatives from seven to eight. Additionally, the bill maintained the structure of three economic development professionals and three business representatives, one each from the agriculture, international trade, and energy industries.

In the substitute version of HB 2775, the structure remains similar, but the formatting and internal organization of the list of counties and cities were slightly refined for clarity. Notably, the substitute version explicitly reorders the counties and cities for consistency and logical flow. For example, the sequence and labeling of subsections (e.g., (A), (B), (C)) were adjusted to align more cleanly with standard bill drafting practices.

Substantively, there are no major policy differences between the originally filed bill and the Committee Substitute; both add Ector County and Odessa, maintain the three economic development professionals, and the three business sector representatives. The changes are primarily stylistic and organizational, intended to improve the readability and technical accuracy of the bill.

Author (1)

Brooks Landgraf

Sponsor (1)

Kevin Sparks

Contact the Author

Rep. Brooks Landgraf

Capitol Phone:

(512) 463-0546

Capitol Office:

EXT E2.602

E-Mail:

[email protected]

Visit Official Website

Fiscal Notes

According to the Legislative Budget Board (LBB), HB 2775 is not expected to have a significant fiscal impact on the state. The analysis assumes that any administrative costs associated with the expanded membership of the I-27 Advisory Committee could be absorbed by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) within its existing budget and resources. Therefore, no additional appropriations or staffing increases are anticipated to implement the bill’s requirements.

Similarly, the fiscal note indicates that there would be no significant fiscal implications for local governments. Counties and cities represented on the expanded advisory committee would continue to designate officials from their existing personnel, such as county judges or city managers, without creating new offices or requiring new funding.

Overall, while the bill expands the committee’s size by adding new county and city representatives, it does so in a way that maintains the advisory role of the body, avoiding any new operational or enforcement responsibilities that could trigger substantial costs.

Vote Recommendation Notes

While HB 2775 addresses a valid concern by adding representation for Ector County and the City of Odessa to the I-27 Advisory Committee, the bill also modestly increases the size of a government body without adding new accountability measures or sunset review. However, it does not expand regulatory power, does not burden taxpayers, and does not impose any new mandates on individuals or businesses.

The bill represents a very limited and specific adjustment, but it still raises minor concerns about government growth and long-term oversight. Because the benefits (fairer regional representation) are balanced by concerns (small but unnecessary expansion without added accountability), Texas Policy Research remains NEUTRAL on HB 2775.

Individual Liberty: The bill does not restrict or expand individual rights. It affects only those who serve on an internal advisory committee. No individual freedoms are touched.
Personal Responsibility: There is no effect on encouraging or discouraging individuals to take responsibility for their actions. It’s strictly a structural adjustment
Free Enterprise: The bill does not regulate businesses, markets, or competition. It neither helps nor harms private enterprise activity.
Private Property Rights: No impact. The bill does not address land use, property ownership, or eminent domain issues.
Limited Government: The bill grows the size of a government advisory body by adding two more members. Although it's a very minor expansion and advisory-only, it technically increases gthe overnment's footprint without adding clear reporting requirements or a sunset review. This lightly pushes against the principle of maintaining a strictly limited government.

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