Relating to the designation of a portion of U.S. Highway 67 in Dallas and Ellis Counties as the Eddie Bernice Johnson Memorial Highway.

BILL ANALYSIS

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Prior to her election to the United States Congress, former Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson was a member of the Texas Legislature, first elected to the Texas House in 1972, becoming the first woman in Texas history to chair a committee. She left the legislature during her third term to take a position with the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare under former President Jimmy Carter. She returned to the legislature in 1987, following her election to the Texas Senate where she served until 1993.

Congresswoman Johnson was elected to represent Dallas and parts of Collin and Tarrant counties in 1992. She would represent Dallas in Congress for 30 years, before retiring in 2023. As a member of Congress, she delivered hundreds of millions of dollars in transportation funding for North Texas. She was chair of the Committee on Science and Technology, a member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and an early advocate for STEM education programs. She was the first nurse and first African American from Dallas to be elected to Congress.

Congresswoman Johnson, a Waco native, also known to many as "EBJ," would commit 50 years of her life to public service. Because of her numerous accomplishments and dedication, in 2016, Dallas City Council would rename the downtown Union Station terminal in her honor. DART chose to honor her in the same manner. S.B. 2790 will name part of U.S. Highway 67 south of Interstate 20 (I-20) to honor her contributions to Texas and America.

As proposed, S.B. 2790 amends current law relating to the designation of a portion of U.S. Highway 67 in Dallas and Ellis Counties as the Eddie Bernice Johnson Memorial Highway.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter B, Chapter 225, Transportation Code, by adding Section 225.243, as follows:

Sec. 225.243. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON MEMORIAL HIGHWAY. (a) Provides that the portion of U.S. Highway 67 in Dallas and Ellis Counties between its intersection with U.S. Highway 287 and its intersection with Interstate Highway 20 is designated as the Eddie Bernice Johnson Memorial Highway. Provides that the designation is in addition to any other designation.

(b) Requires the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), subject to Section 225.021(c) (relating to prohibiting TxDOT from designing, constructing, or erecting a marker unless a grant or donation of funds is made to cover the cost), to design and construct markers indicating the designation as the Eddie Bernice Johnson Memorial Highway and any other appropriate information and erect a marker at each end of the highway and at appropriate intermediate sites along the highway.

SECTION 2. Provides that it is the intention of the 89th Legislature, Regular Session, 2025, that the provisions added by this Act be renumbered to prevent multiple provisions with the same designation.

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2025.