BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1199

By: Dean

Transportation

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

On March 8, 2021, Kelly Hall, a constituent in House District 7, was killed when a trailer became unhitched on a highway near Tyler, Texas. About one year earlier, Kelly's brother was killed on a Texas highway in a similar accident involving an unhitched trailer. While the standard accident form used by local law enforcement currently collects information about an accident, the form does not indicate by default whether a trailer was involved in the accident. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) does not have a means to track how frequently these types of accidents are happening or how widespread the problem of improper attachment of trailers is. H.B. 1199 seeks to include the number of accidents involving a trailer, along with the number of fatalities in those accidents, among the statistical information derived from accident reports that TxDOT must publish on its website and to require such an accident report form to include a way to indicate whether a trailer was involved in an accident.

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

H.B. 1199 amends the Transportation Code to require the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to include the number of accidents involving a trailer, along with the number of fatalities in those accidents, among the statistical information derived from accident reports that TxDOT is required to publish on its website. The bill requires an accident report form prepared by TxDOT to include a way to indicate whether a trailer was involved in an accident and, if so, whether the accident resulted in any fatalities.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.