BILL ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 787 By: Leo Wilson Transportation Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The bill author has informed the committee that ferry employees on the Galveston-Port Bolivar ferry are not currently authorized to attempt to restart the battery of a stalled motor vehicle on the ferry due to a fear that attempting to do so could ignite hazardous gas that could lead to damage to the ferry and harm to passengers. C.S.H.B. 787 seeks to address this issue and ensure that ferry passengers can safely deal with a stalled vehicle by authorizing the operator of a vehicle being transported on the ferry to attempt to restart the vehicle's battery if a ferry employee confirms the absence of hazardous gas and requiring an appropriately trained ferry employee to check for such gas on request. 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 rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Department of Transportation in SECTION 2 of this bill. ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 787 amends the Transportation Code to authorize the operator of a vehicle being transported on the Galveston-Port Bolivar ferry operated by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to attempt to restart the vehicle's battery only if a ferry employee confirms the absence of hazardous gas. The bill requires a ferry employee who has completed the training described by the bill's provisions to check for hazardous gas at the request of the vehicle operator. The bill requires TxDOT to take the following related actions: provide training to ferry employees regarding the safe use of equipment to detect hazardous gas; and provide and maintain in good operating condition equipment for detecting hazardous gas. The bill authorizes TxDOT to charge a fee for the service of checking for hazardous gas in an amount set by TxDOT that is reasonable and necessary to cover the costs of administering the bill's provisions. The bill establishes that nothing in its provisions requires a ferry employee to attempt to restart the battery of a vehicle being transported on the ferry. The bill requires TxDOT to adopt rules necessary to administer the bill's provisions not later than December 1, 2025. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2025. COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE While C.S.H.B. 787 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill. The substitute does not include the provisions of the introduced that did the following: authorized a ferry employee who has completed the requisite training, at the request of a vehicle operator, to attempt to restart the battery of a motor vehicle transported on the ferry; and required the ferry employee to confirm the absence of hazardous gas before providing that service. The substitute sets out provisions that do the following instead: authorize the operator of a vehicle being transported on the ferry to attempt to restart the vehicle's battery only if a ferry employee confirms the absence of hazardous gas; and require a ferry employee who has completed the requisite training to check for hazardous gas at the request of the vehicle operator. The substitute does not include the introduced version's requirements for TxDOT to provide training to ferry personnel regarding the safe use of equipment to restart a motor vehicle battery and to provide and maintain in good operating condition equipment for restarting a motor vehicle. The substitute includes a provision absent from the introduced establishing that nothing in the bill's provisions requires a ferry employee to attempt to restart the battery of a vehicle being transported on the ferry.
BILL ANALYSIS
# BILL ANALYSIS
C.S.H.B. 787
By: Leo Wilson
Transportation
Committee Report (Substituted)
C.S.H.B. 787
By: Leo Wilson
Transportation
Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The bill author has informed the committee that ferry employees on the Galveston-Port Bolivar ferry are not currently authorized to attempt to restart the battery of a stalled motor vehicle on the ferry due to a fear that attempting to do so could ignite hazardous gas that could lead to damage to the ferry and harm to passengers. C.S.H.B. 787 seeks to address this issue and ensure that ferry passengers can safely deal with a stalled vehicle by authorizing the operator of a vehicle being transported on the ferry to attempt to restart the vehicle's battery if a ferry employee confirms the absence of hazardous gas and requiring an appropriately trained ferry employee to check for such gas on request.
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 rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Department of Transportation in SECTION 2 of this bill.
ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 787 amends the Transportation Code to authorize the operator of a vehicle being transported on the Galveston-Port Bolivar ferry operated by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to attempt to restart the vehicle's battery only if a ferry employee confirms the absence of hazardous gas. The bill requires a ferry employee who has completed the training described by the bill's provisions to check for hazardous gas at the request of the vehicle operator. The bill requires TxDOT to take the following related actions: provide training to ferry employees regarding the safe use of equipment to detect hazardous gas; and provide and maintain in good operating condition equipment for detecting hazardous gas. The bill authorizes TxDOT to charge a fee for the service of checking for hazardous gas in an amount set by TxDOT that is reasonable and necessary to cover the costs of administering the bill's provisions. The bill establishes that nothing in its provisions requires a ferry employee to attempt to restart the battery of a vehicle being transported on the ferry. The bill requires TxDOT to adopt rules necessary to administer the bill's provisions not later than December 1, 2025.
EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2025.
COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE While C.S.H.B. 787 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill. The substitute does not include the provisions of the introduced that did the following: authorized a ferry employee who has completed the requisite training, at the request of a vehicle operator, to attempt to restart the battery of a motor vehicle transported on the ferry; and required the ferry employee to confirm the absence of hazardous gas before providing that service. The substitute sets out provisions that do the following instead: authorize the operator of a vehicle being transported on the ferry to attempt to restart the vehicle's battery only if a ferry employee confirms the absence of hazardous gas; and require a ferry employee who has completed the requisite training to check for hazardous gas at the request of the vehicle operator. The substitute does not include the introduced version's requirements for TxDOT to provide training to ferry personnel regarding the safe use of equipment to restart a motor vehicle battery and to provide and maintain in good operating condition equipment for restarting a motor vehicle. The substitute includes a provision absent from the introduced establishing that nothing in the bill's provisions requires a ferry employee to attempt to restart the battery of a vehicle being transported on the ferry.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
The bill author has informed the committee that ferry employees on the Galveston-Port Bolivar ferry are not currently authorized to attempt to restart the battery of a stalled motor vehicle on the ferry due to a fear that attempting to do so could ignite hazardous gas that could lead to damage to the ferry and harm to passengers. C.S.H.B. 787 seeks to address this issue and ensure that ferry passengers can safely deal with a stalled vehicle by authorizing the operator of a vehicle being transported on the ferry to attempt to restart the vehicle's battery if a ferry employee confirms the absence of hazardous gas and requiring an appropriately trained ferry employee to check for such gas on request.
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 rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Department of Transportation in SECTION 2 of this bill.
ANALYSIS
C.S.H.B. 787 amends the Transportation Code to authorize the operator of a vehicle being transported on the Galveston-Port Bolivar ferry operated by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to attempt to restart the vehicle's battery only if a ferry employee confirms the absence of hazardous gas. The bill requires a ferry employee who has completed the training described by the bill's provisions to check for hazardous gas at the request of the vehicle operator. The bill requires TxDOT to take the following related actions:
provide training to ferry employees regarding the safe use of equipment to detect hazardous gas; and
provide and maintain in good operating condition equipment for detecting hazardous gas.
The bill authorizes TxDOT to charge a fee for the service of checking for hazardous gas in an amount set by TxDOT that is reasonable and necessary to cover the costs of administering the bill's provisions. The bill establishes that nothing in its provisions requires a ferry employee to attempt to restart the battery of a vehicle being transported on the ferry. The bill requires TxDOT to adopt rules necessary to administer the bill's provisions not later than December 1, 2025.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2025.
COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE
While C.S.H.B. 787 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.
The substitute does not include the provisions of the introduced that did the following:
authorized a ferry employee who has completed the requisite training, at the request of a vehicle operator, to attempt to restart the battery of a motor vehicle transported on the ferry; and
required the ferry employee to confirm the absence of hazardous gas before providing that service.
The substitute sets out provisions that do the following instead:
authorize the operator of a vehicle being transported on the ferry to attempt to restart the vehicle's battery only if a ferry employee confirms the absence of hazardous gas; and
require a ferry employee who has completed the requisite training to check for hazardous gas at the request of the vehicle operator.
The substitute does not include the introduced version's requirements for TxDOT to provide training to ferry personnel regarding the safe use of equipment to restart a motor vehicle battery and to provide and maintain in good operating condition equipment for restarting a motor vehicle.
The substitute includes a provision absent from the introduced establishing that nothing in the bill's provisions requires a ferry employee to attempt to restart the battery of a vehicle being transported on the ferry.