By Brimer H.B. No. 167 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to requiring safety chains for vehicles towing trailers. 1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-4 SECTION 1. Article XIII, Uniform Act Regulating Traffic on 1-5 Highways (Article 6701d, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended 1-6 by adding Section 106A to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 106A. SAFETY CHAINS. (a) In this section "safety 1-8 chains" means flexible tension members connected from the front 1-9 portion of a towed vehicle to the rear portion of a towing vehicle 1-10 to maintain connection between the vehicles if the primary 1-11 connecting system fails. 1-12 (b) A person may not operate a passenger vehicle while 1-13 towing a trailer or house trailer on a public highway unless safety 1-14 chains of a type approved by the department are attached in a 1-15 manner approved by the department from the trailer or house 1-16 trailer to the towing vehicle. 1-17 (c) The department shall adopt rules setting forth the type 1-18 of safety chains required to be used based on the weight of the 1-19 trailer or house trailer being towed. The rules shall: 1-20 (1) require safety chains to be strong enough to 1-21 maintain connection between the trailer or house trailer and the 1-22 towing vehicle; and 1-23 (2) indicate the proper method of attachment of safety 1-24 chains between the trailer or the house trailer and the towing 2-1 vehicle. 2-2 (d) The requirements of Subsection (b) of this section do 2-3 not apply to a passenger vehicle towing a trailer used for 2-4 agricultural purposes. 2-5 (e) This section shall not apply to any trailer which is 2-6 operated in compliance with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety 2-7 Regulations. 2-8 (f) The rules adopted by the Department of Public Safety 2-9 under Subsection (c) of this section shall not apply to trailers 2-10 which are equipped with safety chains installed by the original 2-11 manufacturer before the effective date of the rules. 2-12 SECTION 2. The Department of Public Safety shall adopt 2-13 initial rules under Section 106A(c), Uniform Act Regulating Traffic 2-14 on Highways (Article 6701d, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), as 2-15 added by this Act, not later than December 1, 1993. A person is 2-16 not required before March 1, 1994, to have safety chains that meet 2-17 the requirements of the rules adopted by the Department of Public 2-18 Safety. 2-19 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-20 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-21 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-22 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-23 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-24 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-25 passage, and it is so enacted.