Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas House Bill HB795 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	~~87R13733~~ BEE-D
	1	+	87R2963 BEE-F
2	2		By: Goodwin H.B. No. 795
3		-	Substitute the following for H.B. No. 795:
4		-	By: Martinez C.S.H.B. No. 795
5	3
6	4
7	5		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	6		AN ACT
9	7		relating to the designation of highway safety corridors; increasing
10	8		a fine.
11	9		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12		-	SECTION 1. This Act shall be known as the Dr. Michael James
13		-	Babineaux Act.
	10	+	SECTION 1. Section 201.905(b), Transportation Code, is
	11	+	amended to read as follows:
	12	+	(b) A program under this section may also include literature
	13	+	distributed to the public by the department concerning:
	14	+	(1) the program established under this section; and
	15	+	(2) highway safety corridors designated under Section
	16	+	201.9051.
14	17		SECTION 2. Subchapter K, Chapter 201, Transportation Code,
15	18		is amended by adding Section 201.9051 to read as follows:
16	19		Sec. 201.9051. HIGHWAY SAFETY CORRIDOR. (a) The
17	20		department shall designate as a highway safety corridor a portion
18		-	of a roadway containing a site with a high number of traffic
19		-	fatalities, as identified by the governing body of the municipality
20		-	or county in whose jurisdiction the site is located.
	21	+	of a roadway containing:
	22	+	(1) a site described by Section 201.905, regardless of
	23	+	whether the department has established the program under that
	24	+	section; or
	25	+	(2) a site with a high number of traffic fatalities, as
	26	+	identified by the governing body of the municipality or county in
	27	+	whose jurisdiction the site is located.
21	28		(b) The department shall erect a sign at each end of the
22	29		highway safety corridor and at appropriate intermediate sites along
23	30		the corridor:
24	31		(1) indicating that it is a highway safety corridor;
25	32		and
26	33		(2) stating "Fines double: highway safety corridor."
27		-	(c) The department may distribute literature to the public
28		-	concerning highway safety corridors designated under this section.
	34	+	(c) The department may include on the same sign the
	35	+	information required for:
	36	+	(1) a highway safety corridor under this section; and
	37	+	(2) a traffic safety sign under Section 201.905(a).
29	38		(d) The commission by rule shall establish processes for the
30	39		governing body of a municipality or county to:
31	40		(1) identify sites with high numbers of traffic
32	41		fatalities; and
33	42		(2) inform the department of sites identified under
34	43		Subdivision (1) for designation as a highway safety corridor.
35	44		SECTION 3. Subchapter D, Chapter 542, Transportation Code,
36	45		is amended by adding Section 542.4046 to read as follows:
37	46		Sec. 542.4046. FINE FOR OFFENSE IN HIGHWAY SAFETY CORRIDOR.
38	47		(a) In this section, "highway safety corridor" means a portion of a
39	48		roadway designated by the department in accordance with Section
40	49		201.9051.
41	50		(b) If an offense under this subtitle, other than an offense
42	51		under Chapter 548 or 552 or Section 545.412 or 545.413, is committed
43	52		in a highway safety corridor:
44	53		(1) the minimum fine applicable to the offense is
45	54		twice the minimum fine that would be applicable to the offense if it
46	55		were committed outside a highway safety corridor; and
47	56		(2) the maximum fine applicable to the offense is
48	57		twice the maximum fine that would be applicable to the offense if it
49	58		were committed outside a highway safety corridor.
50	59		SECTION 4. As soon as practicable after the effective date
51	60		of this Act, the Texas Department of Transportation by rule shall
52	61		establish the processes required by Section 201.9051(d),
53	62		Transportation Code, as added by this Act.
54	63		SECTION 5. The change in law made by this Act applies only
55	64		to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act.
56	65		An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is
57	66		covered by the law in effect immediately before the effective date
58	67		of this Act, and the former law is continued in effect for that
59	68		purpose. For purposes of this section, an offense was committed
60	69		before the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense
61	70		was committed before that date.
62	71		SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.