73R4145 DRH-F
          By Finnell                                            H.B. No. 1656
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to enhanced pavement marking visibility at certain
    1-3  railroad grade crossings.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  DEFINITIONS.  In this Act:
    1-6              (1)  "Department" means the Texas Department of
    1-7  Transportation.
    1-8              (2)  "Grade crossing" and "retroreflectorized material"
    1-9  have the meanings assigned by Section 1, Chapter 269, Acts of the
   1-10  71st Legislature, Regular Session, 1989 (Article 6370b, Vernon's
   1-11  Texas Civil Statutes).
   1-12              (3)  "Pavement markings" means markings applied or
   1-13  attached to the surface of a roadway for the purpose of regulating,
   1-14  warning, or guiding traffic.
   1-15              (4)  "Stop bar" means the marking that is applied or
   1-16  attached to the surface of a roadway on either side of a grade
   1-17  crossing and that indicates that a vehicle must stop at the grade
   1-18  crossing.
   1-19        SECTION 2.  IMPROVED PAVEMENT MARKINGS AT CERTAIN GRADE
   1-20  CROSSINGS.  A county or municipality shall use standards developed
   1-21  by the department in applying pavement markings or a stop bar at a
   1-22  grade crossing if the cost of the markings or stop bar is paid
   1-23  either entirely or partly from state or federal funds.  In
   1-24  developing its standards, the department shall follow the standards
    2-1  in the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices issued by the
    2-2  United States Department of Transportation Federal Highway
    2-3  Administration and, where appropriate, require the use of
    2-4  retroreflectorized materials.
    2-5        SECTION 3.  EFFECTIVE DATE.  This Act takes effect September
    2-6  1, 1993.
    2-7        SECTION 4.  EMERGENCY.  The importance of this legislation
    2-8  and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-9  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-10  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-11  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.