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.

He is now one of only five members in the history of the Texas Legislature to serve three sessions as Chair of the House Committee on Transportation. Chairman Canales is the first House Transportation Chair since 2007 to serve in that role for 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. “The Speaker has the foresight to recognize that institutional knowledge improves our ability to govern, exercise oversight, and create impactful policy changes. It is undebatable that transportation infrastructure requires long-range planning and vision. To be appointed as Chairman for a third consecutive session is both an honor and a responsibility,” said Canales. “The current supply chain issues have highlighted the impact that transportation infrastructure has on every industry in our state. As Chairman I will continue to work tirelessly to ensure Texas’ infrastructure is adequately prepared for the future.”

The Speaker also appointed Rep. Canales to the Committee on Homeland Security and Public Safety. Rep. Canales said, “Thank you Speaker Phelan for these important committee appointments and for recognizing the importance of the Rio Grande Valley by giving our region’s legislators key appointments in the Texas House of Representatives. It is an honor to serve on these committees in the 88th Session of the Texas Legislature and continue my work to help create a more prosperous future 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, Pharr, Elsa, San Juan, Faysville, La Blanca, Linn, Lópezville, and McAllen. He may be reached at his House District Office in Edinburg at (956) 383-0860 or at the Capitol at (512) 463-0426.