BILL ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 3665 By: Ordaz Perez Transportation Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Concerns have been raised regarding the narrow definition of a bicycle for purposes of state transportation law. It has been suggested that the current definition, which is used to enforce rules of the road, does not account for modifications to bicycles designed for use by riders with disabilities. C.S.H.B. 3665 seeks to make adaptive bicycles designed for these riders street legal by clarifying ambiguity with regard to the current definition of bicycle. 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 C.S.H.B. 3665 amends the Transportation Code to expand the definition of "bicycle" for purposes of the rules of the road to include a device capable of being ridden solely using human power and that has two or more wheels, at least one of which is more than 14 inches in diameter, and a belt, chain, or gears. The bill specifies that the definition excludes a moped. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2021. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE While C.S.H.B. 3665 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill. The substitute changes the original's revised definition of "bicycle" as follows: to explicitly exclude a moped from the definition; and to describe the bicycle explicitly, with respect to a belt, chain, wheels, and gears, rather than describing it as a device generally recognized as a bicycle, regardless of the number of wheels on the device.
BILL ANALYSIS
# BILL ANALYSIS
C.S.H.B. 3665
By: Ordaz Perez
Transportation
Committee Report (Substituted)
C.S.H.B. 3665
By: Ordaz Perez
Transportation
Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Concerns have been raised regarding the narrow definition of a bicycle for purposes of state transportation law. It has been suggested that the current definition, which is used to enforce rules of the road, does not account for modifications to bicycles designed for use by riders with disabilities. C.S.H.B. 3665 seeks to make adaptive bicycles designed for these riders street legal by clarifying ambiguity with regard to the current definition of bicycle.
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 C.S.H.B. 3665 amends the Transportation Code to expand the definition of "bicycle" for purposes of the rules of the road to include a device capable of being ridden solely using human power and that has two or more wheels, at least one of which is more than 14 inches in diameter, and a belt, chain, or gears. The bill specifies that the definition excludes a moped.
EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2021.
COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE While C.S.H.B. 3665 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill. The substitute changes the original's revised definition of "bicycle" as follows: to explicitly exclude a moped from the definition; and to describe the bicycle explicitly, with respect to a belt, chain, wheels, and gears, rather than describing it as a device generally recognized as a bicycle, regardless of the number of wheels on the device.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Concerns have been raised regarding the narrow definition of a bicycle for purposes of state transportation law. It has been suggested that the current definition, which is used to enforce rules of the road, does not account for modifications to bicycles designed for use by riders with disabilities. C.S.H.B. 3665 seeks to make adaptive bicycles designed for these riders street legal by clarifying ambiguity with regard to the current definition of bicycle.
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
C.S.H.B. 3665 amends the Transportation Code to expand the definition of "bicycle" for purposes of the rules of the road to include a device capable of being ridden solely using human power and that has two or more wheels, at least one of which is more than 14 inches in diameter, and a belt, chain, or gears. The bill specifies that the definition excludes a moped.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2021.
COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE
While C.S.H.B. 3665 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.
The substitute changes the original's revised definition of "bicycle" as follows:
to explicitly exclude a moped from the definition; and
to describe the bicycle explicitly, with respect to a belt, chain, wheels, and gears, rather than describing it as a device generally recognized as a bicycle, regardless of the number of wheels on the device.