Sec. 456.001. DEFINITIONS

In this chapter:

(1) "Capital improvement" means the acquisition, construction, or improvement of a facility, equipment, or real property for use in public transportation service. The term includes designing, engineering, supervising, inspecting, surveying, mapping, relocation, right-of-way acquisition, housing replacement, and other expenses incidental to the acquisition, construction, or improvement.

(2) "Designated recipient" means an entity that receives money from the United States or this state for public transportation through the department or the Federal Transit Administration or the administration's successor and is a transit authority, a municipality not included in a transit authority, a local governmental body, another political subdivision of this state, or a nonprofit entity providing rural public transportation service.

(3) "Federal-Aid Highway Act" means the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1973 (49 U.S.C. Section 1602a).

(4) "Federal Transit Act" means the Federal Transit Act (49 U.S.C. Section 5301 et seq.) and includes the Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964.

(5) "Federally financed project" means a public transportation project that is partially financed under a program of the United States for financing public transportation.

(6) "Local share requirement" means the amount of money required of and available to a public transportation provider in this state to match the amount available from the United States for a federally financed project.

(7) "Operating expense" means an expense, including an administrative expense, incurred in the daily operation of a public transportation system.

(8) "Public transportation" means transportation of passengers and their hand-carried packages or baggage on a regular or continuing basis by means of surface or water, including fixed guideway or underground transportation or transit, other than aircraft, taxicab, ambulance, or emergency vehicle.

(9) "Ride-sharing activity" means transportation provided by a vehicle equipped with rubber tires that carries 10 to 15 passengers.

(10) "State-financed project" means a project for which this state provides partial financing under this chapter.

(11) "Transit authority" means a municipality or a metropolitan or regional authority in an urbanized area of over 200,000 population with a local transit tax.

(12) "Urbanized area" means an area with a population of more than 50,000 so designated by the United States Bureau of the Census.

(13) "Nonurbanized area" means an area outside the boundaries of an urbanized area and so designated by the United States Bureau of the Census.

(14) "Local funds" include:

(A) passenger revenues, notwithstanding any statutory requirement to apply that money to offset operating deficits;

(B) money from the purchase of service agreements, contract income, advertising revenue, local tax receipts, and private donations;

(C) money provided by a political subdivision of this state; and

(D) in-kind contributions.

Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 30.33(b), eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 588, Sec. 1, eff. June 2, 1997.