Lubbock MPO adopts 2026 Title VI plan after TxDOT audit, removing disparate-impact language
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Summary
The Lubbock MPO adopted an updated 2026 Title VI plan Oct. 21 to align with new federal executive orders, replacing previous disparate-impact analysis requirements with a focus on intentional discrimination.
The Lubbock Metropolitan Planning Organization Transportation Policy Committee adopted a revised 2026 Title VI plan Oct. 21 after a review prompted by a Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) audit.
Dr. Wilson, counsel to the MPO, told the committee the update reflects changes in federal guidance and recent executive orders that remove the use of disparate-impact standards and require evaluation based on intentional actions rather than outcomes. He identified Executive Orders 14151 and 14173 as drivers of the change and said TxDOT provided a green light after reviewing the revised document now before the committee.
The revised Title VI plan removes references to programs and evaluation language tied to diversity, equity and inclusion and adjusts language that previously supported disparate-impact reviews; staff will cease reviewing projects and programs by outcomes as indicators of discrimination, Dr. Wilson said. The updated plan will be posted on the MPO website and incorporated into the public participation plan.
Mr. Warren moved to approve Resolution 2025-515 adopting the 2026 Title VI plan; Councilmember McDonald and another councilmember seconded the motion. The committee chair called for the vote; members responded and the motion carried, recorded in the meeting as passing "6 2 1." The document will be submitted to TxDOT as the MPO’s updated Title VI plan.
Dr. Wilson said the Title VI requirement stems from the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and subsequent federal guidance; the MPO’s update is part of an annual TxDOT audit cycle that rotates across the state.