| 1 | 1 | | 85R6003 JTS-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Watson S.B. No. 1652 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the designation of an area of highway by a municipality |
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| 8 | 8 | | as an immediate removal area. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 683.002(a), Transportation Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (a) For the purposes of this chapter, a motor vehicle is |
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| 13 | 13 | | abandoned if the motor vehicle: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (1) is inoperable, is more than five years old, and has |
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| 15 | 15 | | been left unattended on public property for more than 48 hours; |
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| 16 | 16 | | (2) has remained illegally on public property for more |
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| 17 | 17 | | than 48 hours; |
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| 18 | 18 | | (3) has remained on private property without the |
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| 19 | 19 | | consent of the owner or person in charge of the property for more |
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| 20 | 20 | | than 48 hours; |
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| 21 | 21 | | (4) has been left unattended on the right-of-way of a |
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| 22 | 22 | | designated county, state, or federal highway for more than 48 |
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| 23 | 23 | | hours; |
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| 24 | 24 | | (5) has been left unattended for more than 24 hours on |
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| 25 | 25 | | the right-of-way of a turnpike project constructed and maintained |
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| 26 | 26 | | by the Texas Turnpike Authority division of the Texas Department of |
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| 27 | 27 | | Transportation or a controlled access highway; [or] |
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| 28 | 28 | | (6) is considered an abandoned motor vehicle under |
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| 29 | 29 | | Section 644.153(r); or |
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| 30 | 30 | | (7) is unattended in an area designated by a |
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| 31 | 31 | | municipality as an immediate removal area as provided by Section |
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| 32 | 32 | | 683.004. |
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| 33 | 33 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 683, Transportation Code, |
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| 34 | 34 | | is amended by adding Section 683.004 to read as follows: |
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| 35 | 35 | | Sec. 683.004. DESIGNATION OF IMMEDIATE REMOVAL AREAS. (a) |
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| 36 | 36 | | A municipality may designate a segment of highway in the |
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| 37 | 37 | | municipality's jurisdiction as an area in which the immediate |
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| 38 | 38 | | removal of unattended vehicles is necessary to prevent traffic |
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| 39 | 39 | | safety hazards. |
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| 40 | 40 | | (b) A municipality that makes a designation under |
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| 41 | 41 | | Subsection (a) must post signs in the area providing conspicuous |
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| 42 | 42 | | notice that the area is an immediate removal area and that |
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| 43 | 43 | | unattended vehicles may be immediately towed. |
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| 44 | 44 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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