The department must provide aircraft transportation for certain official-state-business passengers when aircraft are available, and it may not provide it for political, personal-speech, or other listed trip purposes unless the stated conditions are met.
Sec. 2205.036. PASSENGER TRANSPORTATION. (a) The department shall provide aircraft transportation, to the extent that its aircraft are available, to: (1) state officers and employees who are traveling on official business according to the coordinated passenger scheduling system and the priority scheduling system developed as part of the aircraft operations manual under Section 2205.038; (2) persons in the care or custody of state officers or employees described by Subdivision (1); and (3) persons whose transportation furthers official state business. (b) The department may not provide aircraft transportation to a passenger if the passenger is to be transported to or from a place where the passenger: (1) will make or has made a speech not related to official state business; (2) will attend or has attended an event sponsored by a political party; (3) will perform a service or has performed a service for which the passenger is to receive an honorarium, unless the passenger reimburses the department for the cost of transportation; (4) will attend or has attended an event at which money is raised for private or political purposes; or (5) will attend or has attended an event at which an audience was charged an admission fee to see or hear the passenger. (c) The department may not provide aircraft transportation to a destination unless: (1) the destination is not served by a commercial carrier; (2) the aircraft transportation is the most cost-effective travel arrangement in accordance with Section 660.007(a); (3) the time required to use a commercial carrier interferes with passenger obligations; (4) a representative of the Department of Public Safety determines that security concerns for a passenger warrant the use of a state aircraft; (5) the number of passengers traveling makes the use of a state aircraft cost-effective; or (6) emergency circumstances necessitate the use of a state aircraft. (d) Before the executive director of the department or the director's designee may authorize a person to use a state-operated aircraft, the person must sign an affidavit stating that the person is traveling on official state business. On filing of the affidavit, the person may be authorized to use state-operated aircraft for official state business for a period of one year. A member of the legislature is not required to receive any other additional authorization to use a state-operated aircraft. (e) Before the executive director of the department or the director's designee may authorize an employee of a state agency to use a state-operated aircraft, the administrative head of the state agency must certify that the employee's transportation complies with the requirements of this section. Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 268, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993. Amended by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 280, Sec. 13, eff. Sept. 1, 1999. Amended by: Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 533 (S.B. 312), Sec. 63, eff. September 1, 2017. Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1017 (H.B. 3388), Sec. 3, eff. June 18, 2021.