Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB571 Latest Draft

Bill / Introduced Version Filed 02/01/2019

                            86R4591 MP-D
 By: Rodríguez S.B. No. 571


 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT
 relating to the authority of a municipality to lower speed limits on
 certain highways.
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 SECTION 1.  Sections 545.356(b-1), (c), and (d),
 Transportation Code, are amended to read as follows:
 (b-1)  Except as provided by Subsection (b-3), the governing
 body of a municipality, for a highway or a part of a highway in the
 municipality that is not an officially designated or marked highway
 or road of the state highway system, may declare a lower speed limit
 of not less than 20 [25] miles per hour, if the governing body
 determines that the prima facie speed limit on the highway is
 unreasonable or unsafe.
 (c)  A prima facie speed limit that is altered by the
 governing body of a municipality under Subsection (b)[, (b-1),] or
 (b-3) is effective when the governing body erects signs giving
 notice of the new limit [and at all times or at other times as
 determined].  A prima facie speed limit that is altered by the
 governing body of a municipality under Subsection (b-1) is
 effective when the governing body erects signs or has completed a
 public education campaign giving notice of the new limit that
 includes notification of the effective date of the change.
 (d)  The governing body of a municipality that declares a
 lower speed limit on a highway or part of a highway under Subsection
 (b-1) or (b-3), not later than February 1 of each year, shall
 publish on its Internet website and submit to the department a
 report that compares for each of the two previous calendar years:
 (1)  the number of traffic citations issued by peace
 officers of the municipality and the alleged speed of the vehicles,
 for speed limit violations on the highway or part of the highway;
 [(2) the number of warning citations issued by peace
 officers of the municipality on the highway or part of the highway;]
 and
 (2) [(3)]  the number of vehicular accidents that
 resulted in injury or death and were attributable to speed limit
 violations on the highway or part of the highway.
 SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.