BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 1611 By: VanDeaver Homeland Security & Public Safety Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Observers have raised concerns about the frequency with which drivers approaching an accident on a highway at a high rate of speed cause fender benders or other serious crashes due to lack of awareness of the occurrence of the original accident. H.B. 1611 seeks to address this issue by providing for the development of best practices for the use of safety equipment by certain emergency vehicles responding to an incident on a highway and for related training materials for the vehicle operators. CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS H.B. 1611 amends the Transportation Code to require the Department of Public Safety to develop best practices for the use of road flares, fusees, emergency reflectors, or other safety equipment by a stationary authorized emergency vehicle responding to an incident on a highway and to provide training materials regarding those best practices to operators of authorized emergency vehicles. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2017.
BILL ANALYSIS
# BILL ANALYSIS
H.B. 1611
By: VanDeaver
Homeland Security & Public Safety
Committee Report (Unamended)
H.B. 1611
By: VanDeaver
Homeland Security & Public Safety
Committee Report (Unamended)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Observers have raised concerns about the frequency with which drivers approaching an accident on a highway at a high rate of speed cause fender benders or other serious crashes due to lack of awareness of the occurrence of the original accident. H.B. 1611 seeks to address this issue by providing for the development of best practices for the use of safety equipment by certain emergency vehicles responding to an incident on a highway and for related training materials for the vehicle operators.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS H.B. 1611 amends the Transportation Code to require the Department of Public Safety to develop best practices for the use of road flares, fusees, emergency reflectors, or other safety equipment by a stationary authorized emergency vehicle responding to an incident on a highway and to provide training materials regarding those best practices to operators of authorized emergency vehicles.
EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2017.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Observers have raised concerns about the frequency with which drivers approaching an accident on a highway at a high rate of speed cause fender benders or other serious crashes due to lack of awareness of the occurrence of the original accident. H.B. 1611 seeks to address this issue by providing for the development of best practices for the use of safety equipment by certain emergency vehicles responding to an incident on a highway and for related training materials for the vehicle operators.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
H.B. 1611 amends the Transportation Code to require the Department of Public Safety to develop best practices for the use of road flares, fusees, emergency reflectors, or other safety equipment by a stationary authorized emergency vehicle responding to an incident on a highway and to provide training materials regarding those best practices to operators of authorized emergency vehicles.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2017.