Texas House Bill HB2330

Texas 2013 - 83rd Regular

Caption

Relating to regulation of traffic in a special district by a commissioners court.

Impact

The bill amends existing statutes in the Government Code and Transportation Code, outlining the authority of a commissioners court to enforce traffic regulations on certain roads. By entering into interlocal agreements with reclamation districts, counties can extend their traffic rules to public roadways operated by these districts. This change is intended to streamline traffic management and ensure that all roads within a county, regardless of ownership, can adhere to the same set of regulations, thereby potentially reducing confusion for motorists about different traffic rules in the area.

Summary

House Bill 2330 establishes provisions for the regulation of traffic within certain special districts by a commissioners court in Texas. This legislative act primarily targets counties with specific population demographics — those having populations exceeding 80,000 but less than 130,000, and that border a county with a population between 2 million and 4 million. The goal of the bill is to establish a framework for these counties to apply the same traffic regulations in public roadways owned and maintained by conservation and reclamation districts, thereby enhancing traffic safety and consistency in affected regions.

Contention

Notably, while the bill received overwhelming support during voting—137 yeas and no nays—there may be underlying concerns regarding local autonomy versus state oversight. Certain stakeholders might view this as a limitation on the ability of special districts to manage their own traffic regulations without county intervention. However, discussions in legislative contexts suggest that the intended collaborative approach through interlocal contracts seeks to promote road safety rather than unnecessarily infringe on local governance.