BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 1263
88R3754AMF-D	By: Thompson, Senfronia et al. (Miles)
	Transportation
	4/20/2023
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

In its criteria for school safety zones, the City of Houston Public Works states that a school "must be clearly defined as an elementary or middle/junior high school." Additionally, the "age of children" is considered in the engineering investigation.

The city's criteria exclude Houston high schools from having school zones. This has left almost all Houston high schools without safety features such as school zone flashing beacons to alert drivers. Almost all Houston Independent School District high schools report that they have no crosswalks, no flashing school signs, no speed limit markers, or no yellow school zone signs.

H.B. 1263 seeks to address the problem by prohibiting a local authority from adopting or enforcing measures that prohibits or precludes the designation of a school crossing zone or school crosswalk at a high school campus that is located in a municipality with a population of two million or more.

H.B. 1263 amends current law relating to the ability of a local authority to designate school crossing zones and school crosswalks at high school campuses located in certain municipalities.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 542.203, Transportation Code, by adding Subsection (d), as follows:

(d) Prohibits a local authority from adopting or enforcing an order, ordinance, regulation, or other measure that prohibits or precludes the designation of a school crossing zone or school crosswalk at a high school campus that is located in a municipality with a population of two million or more.

SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2023.