| 1 | 1 | | 89R4825 GP-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Johnson H.B. No. 1619 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to crossing arms on buses that transport schoolchildren. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Section 547.701, Transportation Code, is amended |
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| 12 | 12 | | by amending Subsections (a) and (c) and adding Subsection (f) to |
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| 13 | 13 | | read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (a) A school bus shall be equipped with: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (1) a convex mirror or other device that reflects to |
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| 16 | 16 | | the school bus operator a clear view of the area immediately in |
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| 17 | 17 | | front of the vehicle that would otherwise be hidden from view; [and] |
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| 18 | 18 | | (2) signal lamps that: |
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| 19 | 19 | | (A) are mounted as high and as widely spaced |
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| 20 | 20 | | laterally as practicable; |
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| 21 | 21 | | (B) display four alternately flashing red |
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| 22 | 22 | | lights, two located on the front at the same level and two located |
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| 23 | 23 | | on the rear at the same level; and |
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| 24 | 24 | | (C) emit a light visible at a distance of 500 feet |
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| 25 | 25 | | in normal sunlight; and |
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| 26 | 26 | | (3) if the vehicle is a model year 2021 or later, a |
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| 27 | 27 | | school bus crossing arm mounted on the vehicle's front bumper that: |
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| 28 | 28 | | (A) is at least 70 inches long and not longer than |
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| 29 | 29 | | the vehicle's width; and |
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| 30 | 30 | | (B) when activated, extends outward in front of |
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| 31 | 31 | | the vehicle to require students who cross the roadway in front of |
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| 32 | 32 | | the school bus to maintain a safe distance between themselves and |
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| 33 | 33 | | the school bus. |
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| 34 | 34 | | (c) When a school bus is being stopped or is stopped on a |
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| 35 | 35 | | highway to permit students to board or exit the bus, the operator of |
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| 36 | 36 | | the bus shall activate all flashing warning signal lights, a school |
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| 37 | 37 | | bus crossing arm required under Subsection (a)(3), and any other |
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| 38 | 38 | | equipment on the bus designed to warn other drivers that the bus is |
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| 39 | 39 | | stopping to load or unload children. |
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| 40 | 40 | | (f) A school district or open-enrollment charter school may |
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| 41 | 41 | | solicit and accept gifts, grants, and donations from any source to |
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| 42 | 42 | | implement the requirement of Subsection (a)(3). |
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| 43 | 43 | | SECTION 2. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this |
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| 44 | 44 | | section, this Act takes effect September 1, 2026. |
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| 45 | 45 | | (b) Section 547.701(f), Transportation Code, as added by |
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| 46 | 46 | | this Act, takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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