[Senate Report 114-213]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


                                                      Calendar No. 374
114th Congress     }                                    {       Report
                                 SENATE
 2d Session        }                                    {      114-213

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 AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE AUTHORITY FOR THE SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS OF 
THE STARR-CAMARGO BRIDGE COMPANY TO MAINTAIN AND OPERATE A TOLL BRIDGE 
           ACROSS THE RIO GRANDE NEAR RIO GRANDE CITY, TEXAS

                                _______
                                

               February 24, 2016.--Ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

    Mr. Inhofe, from the Committee on Environment and Public Works, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                         [To accompany S. 2143]

    The Committee on Environment and Public Works, to which was 
referred the bill (S. 2143) to provide for the authority for 
the successors and assigns of the Starr-Camargo Bridge Company 
to maintain and operate a toll bridge across the Rio Grande 
near Rio Grande City, Texas, and for other purposes, having 
considered the same, reports favorably thereon without 
amendment and recommends that the bill do pass.

                    General Statement and Background

    This bill amends Public Law 87-532 to re-designate the 
Starr-Camargo Bridge Company as the appropriate authority to 
maintain and operate the toll bridge across the Rio Grande 
River connecting the United States-Mexico border cities of Rio 
Grande City, Texas and Camargo, Tamaulipas. Completed in 1966, 
the Starr-Camargo Bridge is currently owned and managed by the 
Starr-Camargo Bridge Company.

                     Objectives of the Legislation

    The objective of S. 2143 is to provide for the authority 
for the successors and assigns of the Starr-Camargo Bridge 
Company to maintain and operate a toll bridge across the Rio 
Grande River near Rio Grande City, Texas.

                      Section-by-Section Analysis

    S. 2143 as reported by the Committee on Environment and 
Public Works on January 20, 2016.

Sec. 1. Starr-Camargo Bridge

    This section amends Public Law 87-532, including the 
addition of a new section aligning the rights and privileges of 
the Starr-Camargo Bridge Company and its successors and assigns 
with those rights and privileges of the B and P Bridge Company, 
which operates the Progreso International Bridge in Progreso, 
Texas.

                          Legislative History

    Senator Cornyn introduced S. 2143 on October 6, 2015. The 
bill was referred to the Committee on Environment and Public 
Works. On January 20, 2016 the Committee on Environment and 
Public Works held a business meeting to consider S. 2143. The 
bill was approved by the Committee by voice vote without 
amendment.

                                Hearings

    No committee hearings were held on S. 2143.

                             Rollcall Votes

    The Committee on Environment and Public Works met to 
consider S. 2143 on January 20, 2016. The bill was ordered 
favorably reported by voice vote. No rollcall votes were taken.

                      Regulatory Impact Statement

    In compliance with section 11(b) of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee finds that S. 2143 
does not create any additional regulatory burdens, nor will it 
cause any adverse impact on the personal privacy of 
individuals.

                          Mandates Assessment

    In compliance with the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 
(Public Law 104-4), the Committee notes that the Congressional 
Budget Office found that S. 2143 contains no intergovernmental 
or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates 
Reform Act (UMRA), and would impose no costs on state, local, 
or tribal governments.

                          Cost of Legislation

    Section 403 of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment 
Control Act requires that a statement of the cost of the 
reported bill, prepared by the Congressional Budget Office, be 
included in the report. That statement follows:

                                                 February 10, 2016.
Hon. Jim Inhofe,
Chairman, Committee on Environment and Public Works,
U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 2143, a bill to 
provide for the authority for the successors and assigns of the 
Starr-Camargo Bridge Company to maintain and operate a toll 
bridge across the Rio Grande near Rio Grande City, Texas, and 
for other purposes.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Sarah Puro.
            Sincerely,
                                                        Keith Hall.
    Enclosure.

S. 2143--A bill to provide for the authority for the successors and 
        assigns of the Starr-Camargo Bridge Company to maintain and 
        operate a toll bridge across the Rio Grande near Rio Grande 
        City, Texas, and for other purposes

    Under current law, the Starr-Camargo Bridge Company has the 
authority to operate a private toll-bridge between the United 
States and Mexico through 2032. S. 2143 would permanently 
extend the authority for the Starr-Camargo Bridge Company or 
its successors to operate such a bridge and to expand the 
number of lanes on that bridge.
    The Starr-Camargo Bridge Company is privately-owned and 
does not receive any federal or state assistance and does not 
issue any tax-exempt debt. As a result, CBO estimates that 
enacting S. 2143 would not affect direct spending or revenues; 
therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
    CBO estimates that enacting S. 2143 would not increase net 
direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four 
consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2027.
    The bill contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and 
would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Sarah Puro. The 
estimate was approved by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Assistant 
Director for Budget Analysis.

                        Changes in Existing Law

    In compliance with section 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing 
Rules of the Senate, changes in existing law made by the bill 
as reported are shown as follows: Existing law proposed to be 
omitted is enclosed in [black brackets], new matter is printed 
in italic, existing law in which no change is proposed is shown 
in roman:

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


                           Public Law 87-532

  (a) (1) The San Benito International Bridge Company of San 
Benito, Texas, is authorized to construct a toll bridge and 
approaches thereto across the Grande, at a point suitable to 
the interests of navigation, at or near Los Indios, Texas, and 
for a period of sixty-six years from the date of completion of 
such bridge, to maintain and operate such bridge and to collect 
tolls for the use thereof, so far as the United States has 
jurisdiction over the waters of such river; and
          (2) The Starr-Camargo Bridge Company of the State of 
        Texas, and its successors and assigns, is authorized to 
        construct a toll bridge and approaches thereto 
        consisting of not more than 14 lanes across the Rio 
        Grande, at a point suitable to the interests of 
        navigation, at or near Rio Grande City, Texas, [and for 
        a period of sixty-six years from the date of completion 
        of such bridge,] to maintain and operate such bridge 
        and to collect tolls for the use thereof, so far as the 
        United States has jurisdiction over the waters of such 
        river.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

  SEC. 2. Each of the companies and its successors and assigns, 
referred to in the first section of this Act may fix and charge 
tolls for transit over the bridge which it is authorized under 
such section to construct, in accordance with the laws of the 
State of Texas, and the laws of the United States, applicable 
to such tolls, and the rates of toll so fixed shall be the 
legal rates until changed under the authority contained in 
section 4 of the Act of March 23, 1906 (33 U.S.C 494).

SEC. 3. RIGHTS OF STARR-CAMARGO BRIDGE COMPANY AND SUCCESSORS AND 
                    ASSIGNS.

  (a) In General.--The Starr-Camargo Bridge Company and its 
successors and assigns shall have the rights and privileges 
granted to the B and P Bridge Company and its successors and 
assigns under section 2 of the Act of May 1, 1928 (45 Stat. 
471, chapter 466).
  (b) Requirement.--In exercising the rights and privileges 
granted under subsection (a), the Starr-Camargo Bridge Company 
and its successors and assigns shall act in accordance with--
          (1) just compensation requirements;
          (2) public proceeding requirements; and
          (3) any other requirements applicable to the exercise 
        of the rights referred to in subsection (a) under the 
        laws of the State of Texas.
  SEC. [3.] 4. Each such Company and its successors and 
assigns, may sell, assign, transfer, or mortgage the rights, 
powers, and privileges conferred on it by this Act, to any . 
public agency, [or] to an international bridge authority or 
commission, or to a corporation, and any such agency, 
[authority, or commission] authority, or commission, or 
corporation is authorized to exercise the rights, powers, and 
privileges acquired under this section (including acquisition 
by mortgage foreclosure) in the same manner as if such rights, 
powers, and privileges had been granted by this Act directly to 
such agency, [authority, or commission] authority, commission, 
or corporation.
  SEC. [4.] 5. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 6 of 
the Act of March 23, 1906 (33 U.S.C. 496), this Act shall be 
null and void as to any bridge authorized to be constructed by 
this Act unless the actual construction of such bridge is 
commenced within three years and completed within five years 
from the date of enactment of this Act.
  SEC. [5.] 6. The right to alter, amend, or repeal this Act is 
expressly reserved.

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