Paid ride companies such as Uber and Lyft are one step closer to the statewide oversight they crave, after a state Senate committee approved a revised plan to regulate them, as opposed to cities.

Members of the Senate State Affairs committee approved the bill, unchanged from what was sent by House lawmakers in HB 100, sponsored by State Rep, Chris Paddie, R-Marshall. The bill establishes statewide rules for paid ride companies that connect willing drivers and interested riders by smartphone. State rules would eliminate any city regulations, while still giving cities control to regulate taxi and limousine drivers and companies.

State Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, at first proffered a substituted version of the bill, then rescinded the substitute without discussion so the committee could approve the original version.

“Several senators expressed a desire to offer additional changes to HB 100,” said Thomas Halloway, chief of staff for Schwertner, in an email. “In the interest of moving the legislation forward, we agreed the most appropriate action was to move the original bill to the floor so all senators have the opportunity to offer their own thoughts.”

As a result, the bill the senate will consider retains a clause added by House lawmakers that defines sex as “the physical condition of being male or female.”

The addition of gender definitions drew alarm from transgender rights advocates, and was called unnecessary by Uber and Lyft officials. The companies, however, did not pull their support of the bill, which they sought so Texas would have uniform regulations.

In his remarks to the committee, Schwertner noted city regulations are “often arbitrary, restrictive and deliberately onerous. Often these regulations are meant to stifle competition.”

The companies have also said city rules are ineffective because in metro areas such as Houston and Dallas rules can differ by a matter of blocks. Trevor Theunissen, who spoke on behalf of Uber in support of the bill, said 26 percent of trips logged by the company in Texas ended in a different city than where they began.

Austin and Houston in particular have regulations the companies have opposed, largely because both cities require background checks based on a fingerprint. The companies prefer a background check based on Social Security numbers.

As a result, Uber and Lyft left Austin after the city’s rules went into effect.

“It is an embarrassment that folks come to Austin and can’t use these services,” said State Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola.

Lyft exited Houston, though Uber remains operational.

In preparation for statewide rules, Lyft has begun re-recruiting drivers in the Houston area.