1-1 By: Brimer (Senate Sponsor - Harris of Tarrant) H.B. No. 167
1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House April 26, 1993;
1-3 April 27, 1993, read first time and referred to Committee on State
1-4 Affairs; May 10, 1993, reported favorably by the following vote:
1-5 Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 10, 1993, sent to printer.)
1-6 COMMITTEE VOTE
1-7 Yea Nay PNV Absent
1-8 Harris of Dallas x
1-9 Rosson x
1-10 Carriker x
1-11 Henderson x
1-12 Leedom x
1-13 Lucio x
1-14 Luna x
1-15 Nelson x
1-16 Patterson x
1-17 Shelley x
1-18 Sibley x
1-19 West x
1-20 Whitmire x
1-21 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-22 AN ACT
1-23 relating to requiring safety chains for vehicles towing trailers.
1-24 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-25 SECTION 1. Article XIII, Uniform Act Regulating Traffic on
1-26 Highways (Article 6701d, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended
1-27 by adding Section 106A to read as follows:
1-28 Sec. 106A. SAFETY CHAINS. (a) In this section "safety
1-29 chains" means flexible tension members connected from the front
1-30 portion of a towed vehicle to the rear portion of a towing vehicle
1-31 to maintain connection between the vehicles if the primary
1-32 connecting system fails.
1-33 (b) A person may not operate a passenger vehicle while
1-34 towing a trailer or house trailer on a public highway unless safety
1-35 chains of a type approved by the department are attached in a
1-36 manner approved by the department from the trailer or house
1-37 trailer to the towing vehicle.
1-38 (c) The department shall adopt rules setting forth the type
1-39 of safety chains required to be used based on the weight of the
1-40 trailer or house trailer being towed. The rules shall:
1-41 (1) require safety chains to be strong enough to
1-42 maintain connection between the trailer or house trailer and the
1-43 towing vehicle; and
1-44 (2) indicate the proper method of attachment of safety
1-45 chains between the trailer or the house trailer and the towing
1-46 vehicle.
1-47 (d) The requirements of Subsection (b) of this section do
1-48 not apply to a passenger vehicle towing a trailer used for
1-49 agricultural purposes.
1-50 (e) This section shall not apply to any trailer which is
1-51 operated in compliance with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety
1-52 Regulations.
1-53 (f) The rules adopted by the Department of Public Safety
1-54 under Subsection (c) of this section shall not apply to trailers
1-55 which are equipped with safety chains installed by the original
1-56 manufacturer before the effective date of the rules.
1-57 SECTION 2. The Department of Public Safety shall adopt
1-58 initial rules under Section 106A(c), Uniform Act Regulating Traffic
1-59 on Highways (Article 6701d, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), as
1-60 added by this Act, not later than December 1, 1993. A person is
1-61 not required before March 1, 1994, to have safety chains that meet
1-62 the requirements of the rules adopted by the Department of Public
1-63 Safety.
1-64 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
1-65 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-66 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-67 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-68 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-1 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-2 passage, and it is so enacted.
2-3 * * * * *
2-4 Austin,
2-5 Texas
2-6 May 10, 1993
2-7 Hon. Bob Bullock
2-8 President of the Senate
2-9 Sir:
2-10 We, your Committee on State Affairs to which was referred H.B.
2-11 No. 167, have had the same under consideration, and I am instructed
2-12 to report it back to the Senate with the recommendation that it do
2-13 pass and be printed.
2-14 Harris of
2-15 Dallas, Chairman
2-16 * * * * *
2-17 No witnesses appeared on H.B. No. 167.