| 9 | 10 | | shared motor-assisted scooters. |
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| 10 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 12 | | SECTION 1. DEFINITION. In this Act, "motor-assisted |
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| 12 | 13 | | scooter" has the meaning assigned by Section 551.351, |
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| 13 | 14 | | Transportation Code. |
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| 14 | 15 | | SECTION 2. STUDY AND REPORT. (a) The Texas Department of |
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| 15 | 16 | | Transportation, in consultation with the Texas A&M Transportation |
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| 16 | 17 | | Institute or other institutions of higher education, local |
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| 17 | 18 | | governments, or industry representatives, shall conduct a study on |
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| 18 | 19 | | the use of shared motor-assisted scooters. |
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| 19 | 20 | | (b) The study must examine: |
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| 20 | 21 | | (1) the legal definition and existing local regulation |
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| 21 | 22 | | of shared motor-assisted scooters; |
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| 22 | 23 | | (2) the liability issues related to shared |
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| 23 | 24 | | motor-assisted scooter use and accidents; |
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| 24 | 25 | | (3) the operation of shared motor-assisted scooters, |
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| 25 | 26 | | including: |
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| 26 | 27 | | (A) safety standards; |
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| 27 | 28 | | (B) interaction with pedestrians; |
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| 28 | 29 | | (C) shared infrastructure; and |
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| 29 | 30 | | (D) operator qualifications; |
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| 30 | 31 | | (4) the economic impact of shared motor-assisted |
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| 31 | 32 | | scooters, including any burdens on or benefits to local |
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| 32 | 33 | | governments; |
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| 33 | 34 | | (5) accessibility of shared motor-assisted scooters; |
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| 34 | 35 | | (6) shared motor-assisted scooters' impact on public |
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| 35 | 36 | | transportation; |
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| 36 | 37 | | (7) the social norms of shared motor-assisted scooter |
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| 37 | 38 | | use, including shared motor-assisted scooter etiquette; and |
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| 38 | 39 | | (8) how shared motor-assisted scooters have been and |
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| 39 | 40 | | may be integrated into the overall transportation system. |
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| 40 | 41 | | (c) Not later than December 1, 2020, the Texas Department of |
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| 41 | 42 | | Transportation shall submit to the legislature a report on the |
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| 42 | 43 | | findings of the study conducted under this section. |
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| 43 | 44 | | SECTION 3. EXPIRATION. This Act expires January 1, 2021. |
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| 44 | 45 | | SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September |
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| 45 | 46 | | 1, 2019. |
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