AI-assisted research summary: An authority must set reasonable, nondiscriminatory fares and related charges, and keep certain personal identifying information confidential except for a limited research/statistics disclosure.
Sec. 460.109. FARES AND USE FEES. (a) An authority shall impose reasonable and nondiscriminatory fares, tolls, charges, rents, and other forms of compensation for the use of the public transportation system. The fares and other forms of compensation shall be sufficient to produce revenue, together with tax revenue and grants received by the authority, in an amount adequate to: (1) pay annually the expenses necessary to operate and maintain the public transportation system; (2) pay as due the principal of and interest on, and sinking fund or reserve fund payments agreed to be made with respect to, all bonds that are issued by the authority and payable in whole or part from the revenue; and (3) fulfill the terms of any other agreement with the holders of bonds issued by the authority. (b) Fares for passenger transportation may be set according to a zone system or by any other classification system that the authority determines to be reasonable. (c) This section does not limit the state's power to regulate taxes imposed by an authority. The state agrees not to alter the power granted to an authority under this section to impose taxes, fares, tolls, charges, rents, and other compensation sufficient to pay obligations incurred by the authority. (d) The state agrees not to impair the rights and remedies of an authority bondholder, or a person acting on behalf of a bondholder, until the principal and interest on the bonds, the interest on unpaid installments of interest, costs, and expenses in connection with an action or proceeding by or on behalf of a bondholder are discharged. (e) Except as provided by Subsection (f), personal identifying information collected by an authority is confidential and not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code, including a person's: (1) name, address, e-mail address, and phone number; (2) account number, password, payment transaction activity, toll or charge record, or credit, debit, or other payment card number; (3) trip data, including the time, date, origin, and destination of a trip, and demographic information collected when the person purchases a ticket or schedules a trip; and (4) other personal information, including financial information. (f) Personal identifying information described by Subsection (e)(3) may be disclosed to a governmental agency or institution of higher education, as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code, by an authority if the requestor confirms in writing that the use of the information will be strictly limited to use in research or in producing statistical reports, but only if the information is not published, redisclosed, sold, or used to contact any individual. Added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1186, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2001. Amended by: Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1129 (S.B. 57), Sec. 8, eff. June 19, 2015. Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 155 (S.B. 858), Sec. 4, eff. May 28, 2021.