Texas exporters are increasingly concerned that current weight regulations do not maximize the capacity of oceangoing containers. To comply with these regulations, some containers are underloaded and transported to a transloading facility, where additional product is added to the containers. Exporters maintain that this process adds costs to the supply chain and results in higher […]
regulation
State vs. Local Control at the Center of Legislative Debates for Ride-Hailing Providers
Since 2013, 45 state legislatures have passed bills that impose some degree of statewide regulation on transportation network companies (TNCs). TNC is the term given to private-ride service providers such as Uber and Lyft. In six states, including Texas, the regulation focused on insurance requirements for TNCs and TNC drivers. In 39 states, a more complex regulatory framework was introduced. Often, these bills explicitly overrule existing TNC ordinances and the local authority to regulate TNCs. This is sometimes called state “preemption” of local authority. While state versus local authority is an important governance issue, it’s intertwined with the regulatory question of how much TNCs should be regulated (if at all) and the extent to which TNC regulations need to be tailored to local context.
In the current legislative session, Texas lawmakers are considering TNC legislation that would preempt local ordinances in 20 Texas cities and replace it with a statewide law.
TNC Bill Analysis
Three bills have been filed so far in the 85th Texas Legislature, regular session, addressing transportation network companies, frequently referred to as ride-hailing or (less accurately) as ridesharing. The bills are SB 113 Relating to the provision of and local regulation of certain for-hire passenger transportation. SB 176 Relating to the regulation of transportation network […]