Traffic Safety Program Manual: Signature Authority

Section 4: Signature Authority

Introduction

Signature authority for traffic safety grants and contracts, assurances, certifications, and other documents is delegated to various levels within TxDOT. Chapter 2 of the Contract Management Manual describes signature authority for the Texas Traffic Safety Program. (Note: The Contract Management Manual is accessible online only through the TxDOT network).

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Signature Authority

The following table lists signature authority related to the traffic safety program:

Signature Authority for Traffic Safety Program Documents
Document	Signature Authority
Highway Safety Plan	Approved by TxDOT Commission; Executive Director signs Minute Order
Certifications and Assurances of the Highway Safety Plan	Division Director, Traffic Operations (TRF)
Highway Safety Program Cost Summary (HS Form 217)	Executive Director or Division Director, Traffic Operations
Federal Cooperative Agreements	Division Director, Traffic Operations
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Agreements	Division Director, Traffic Operations
Federal Grant Applications	Division Director, Traffic Operations
Interagency Cooperation Contracts (for amounts less than $50,000)	Division Director, Traffic Operations
Interagency Cooperation Contracts (for amounts of $50,000 or more)	Director, Office of General Counsel — Contract Services Section
Traffic Safety Program Grant Agreements and Amendments (any amount)	Division Director, Traffic Operations
Traffic Safety Program Grant Agreements and Amendments less than $100,000 (local projects)	District Engineer
State Vouchers for Federal Reimbursement	Grant Accountant, Finance Division
Project Celebration Agreements	District Engineer
Request to NHTSA to Purchase Equipment (greater than $5,000) with Federal Funds	Director, Traffic Safety Section, Traffic Operations Division (TRF-TS)

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Further Delegation of Signature Authority

Unless prohibited in the delegation, the person with authority to sign a specific document may further delegate to appropriate employees as follows:

Give written notification to the employee, describing the specific grant or document and the extent of the signature authority and responsibility.
Send a copy of the delegating memo to the appropriate office as identified in the following table.

Office to Receive Copy of Delegating Memo
If the delegation involves…	Then send the memo to…
Any grant	Office of General Counsel — Contract Services Section (OGC-CSS)
Any purchase	Purchasing Section, General Services Division (GSD)
Voucher Batch Cover or Invoice Approval	Finance Division (FIN)
Other official document	Responsible district, division, or office

In the absence of the Traffic Operations Division director, signature authority is delegated to the following individuals in the order noted:

the TRF deputy director
the TRF Traffic Safety Section director
other TRF section directors.

For further information on this issue, see Chapter 2 of the Contract Management Manual.

The district engineer, division director, or office director may submit a consolidated listing of employees to whom he or she is delegating. Although the administering division may not require signature cards, they should be submitted with the delegations. If there is a change in the name or functional title of the person receiving the delegation or if authority to sign the grant will no longer be delegated, then the delegation should be revised in writing and a copy of the revised delegation and signatures should be sent to the appropriate office.

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Specific Authority to Contract

Specific authority to contract derives from Government Code, Title 7, “Intergovernmental Relations,” Chapter 771, “Interagency Cooperation Contract,” § 771.003. “Authority to Contract; Exceptions.” For more information on “Authority to Contract,” see http://crossroads/org/CSO/statutes.htm (accessible only within the TxDOT network).