BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1263

By: Thompson, Senfronia

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

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 and that the age of children is considered in an engineering investigation. The city's criteria excludes 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 of Houston high schools lacking school zone safety features by prohibiting a local authority from adopting or enforcing a 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.

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. 1263 amends the Transportation Code to prohibit 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 located in a municipality with a population of two million or more.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.