By:  Rosson                                            S.B. No. 738
       73R5568 JD-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the safe operation of motorcycles on highways.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  DEFINITION.  In this Act, "motorcycle" has the
    1-5  meaning assigned by Section 1, Chapter 88, General Laws, Acts of
    1-6  the 41st Legislature, 2nd Called Session, 1929 (Article 6675a-1 et
    1-7  seq., Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), and its subsequent amendments
    1-8  and includes a motorcycle equipped with a sidecar.
    1-9        SECTION 2.  TOLLS FOR MOTORCYCLES.  No person or entity,
   1-10  including the state or a political subdivision of this state, that
   1-11  operates a toll road, toll bridge, or turnpike may impose a toll
   1-12  for the operation of a motorcycle on the toll road, toll bridge, or
   1-13  turnpike that is greater than the toll imposed for the operation of
   1-14  a passenger car on the toll road, toll bridge, or turnpike.
   1-15        SECTION 3.  USE OF PREFERENTIAL LANES.  (a)  In this section,
   1-16  "preferential lane" means a traffic lane on a street or highway
   1-17  where motor vehicle usage is limited to buses, vehicles occupied by
   1-18  a minimum number of persons, or car pool vehicles.
   1-19        (b)  A motorcycle may be operated in a preferential lane that
   1-20  has not been otherwise closed to all vehicular traffic.
   1-21        SECTION 4.  MOTORCYCLE AWARENESS.  (a)  The Department of
   1-22  Public Safety shall include motorcycle awareness information in any
   1-23  edition of the Texas driver's handbook published after the
   1-24  department exhausts its current supply of the handbook.
    2-1        (b)  The Central Education Agency shall adopt rules to
    2-2  require that after January 1, 1994, information relating to
    2-3  motorcycle awareness be included in the curriculum of any driver
    2-4  education course or driving safety course that is governed by the
    2-5  agency.
    2-6        (c)  The Central Education Agency shall consult with the
    2-7  Department of Public Safety in developing rules under Subsection
    2-8  (b) of this section.
    2-9        SECTION 5.  EFFECTIVE DATE.  This Act takes effect September
   2-10  1, 1993.
   2-11        SECTION 6.  EMERGENCY.  The importance of this legislation
   2-12  and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-13  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-14  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-15  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.