Today, Texas State Representative Terry Canales (D-Edinburg) was reappointed to serve as Chairman of the powerful Texas House Committee on Transportation by Texas Speaker of the House Dade Phelan.

Chairman Canales is the first Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation since 2007 to serve in that role for two consecutive legislative sessions. Chairman Canales is the first Latino to be appointed Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation in Texas history as well as the first from the Rio Grande Valley in over 50 years.*

The House Committee on Transportation is responsible for oversight of critical infrastructure development for the state, including roads, railways, and ports. “I am extremely honored that Speaker Phelan has appointed me to be the Chair of the Transportation Committee again for this legislative session,” Chairman Canales said. “One of the most important facts that I have learned over the last two years as Chairman was that Texas must better prioritize transportation infrastructure to be ready for the year 2050 when the state's population is forecasted to be around 47 million,” continued Canales. “We cannot solve all of our infrastructure issues quickly, but I will continue to use my time and resources to ensure Texas is adequately preparing for the future,” said Canales.

The Speaker also appointed Rep. Canales to the Committee on International Relations & Economic Development. Rep. Canales said, “Thank you Speaker Phelan for these influential committee appointments, and it is my honor to serve on these committees to help create a more prosperous Texas and District 40 for my constituents.”

Sec. 32. TRANSPORTATION. The committee shall have 13 members, with jurisdiction over all matters pertaining to:
(1) commercial motor vehicles, both bus and truck, and their control, regulation, licensing, and operation;
(2) the Texas highway system, including all roads, bridges, and ferries constituting a part of the system;
(3) the licensing of private passenger vehicles to operate on the roads and highways of the state;
(4) the regulation and control of traffic on the public highways of the State of Texas;
(5) railroads, street railway lines, interurban railway lines, steamship companies, and express companies;
(6) airports, air traffic, airlines, and other organizations engaged in transportation by means of aerial flight;
(7) water transportation in the State of Texas, and the rivers, harbors, and related facilities used in water transportation and the agencies of government exercising supervision and control thereover;
(8) the regulation of metropolitan transit; and
(9) the following state agencies: the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, the Texas Department of Transportation, and the Texas Transportation Commission.

*According to the Reference Library

Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, is the Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and a member of the Sunset Advisory Commission. Rep. Canales represents House District 40 in Hidalgo County, which includes portions or all of Edinburg, Elsa, Faysville, La Blanca, Linn, Lópezville, McAllen, Pharr and Weslaco. He may be reached at his House District Office in Edinburg at (956) 383-0860 or at the Capitol at (512) 463-0426.