74R9474 DWS-F
          By Swinford                                           H.B. No. 1545
          Substitute the following for H.B. No. 1545:
          By Edwards                                        C.S.H.B. No. 1545
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the hours of operation of certain vehicles.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Subsection (a), Section 106, Uniform Act
    1-5  Regulating Traffic on Highways (Article 6701d, Vernon's Texas Civil
    1-6  Statutes), is amended to read as follows:
    1-7        (a)  No driver of a motor vehicle shall drive upon any
    1-8  highway outside of the limits of an incorporated city or town
    1-9  drawing or having attached thereto more than one (1) vehicle except
   1-10  as herein provided; such vehicle may be a trailer, semi-trailer,
   1-11  pole trailer, or another vehicle; provided, however, that there may
   1-12  be attached to motor vehicles used exclusively in the actual
   1-13  harvesting of perishable fresh fruits and vegetables not to exceed
   1-14  two (2) trailers, under the following conditions:
   1-15              1.  The origin of fruits and vegetables must be an
   1-16  orchard or a field where the same are grown and the destination
   1-17  must be a packing or processing plant or shed not more than fifty
   1-18  (50) miles distant from such field or orchard.
   1-19              2.  The combination of vehicles must be operated only
   1-20  during daytime <the period from sunrise to sunset>, and at a rate
   1-21  of speed not to exceed twenty-five (25) miles per hour.
   1-22              3.  The fruits and vegetables transported in such
   1-23  trailers must be in bulk or field crates.
   1-24              4.  The width, height, and gross weight of each trailer
    2-1  and/or combination of trailers shall conform to the requirements
    2-2  set forth in Article 827a, Revised Penal Code of the State of
    2-3  Texas, and all other laws of this State governing same.
    2-4              5.  No one harvesting trailer shall exceed seventeen
    2-5  (17) feet, nine (9) inches in length, nor shall any combination of
    2-6  two (2) trailers and motor vehicle as provided herein, exceed
    2-7  fifty-five (55) feet overall length.
    2-8              6.  No laborers or "harvesting hands" shall be carried
    2-9  in or on the trailers while so used.
   2-10        SECTION 2.  Section 2, Chapter 73, Acts of the 54th
   2-11  Legislature, Regular Session, 1955 (Article 6701d-13, Vernon's
   2-12  Texas Civil Statutes), is amended to read as follows:
   2-13        Sec. 2.  Such vehicles may be operated only during daytime,
   2-14  as defined by Section 20A, Uniform Act Regulating Traffic on
   2-15  Highways (Article 6701d, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes) <between
   2-16  the hours of sunrise and sunset as defined by law>.
   2-17        SECTION 3.  Section 2, Chapter 8, Acts of the 62nd
   2-18  Legislature, Regular Session, 1971 (Article 6701d-17, Vernon's
   2-19  Texas Civil Statutes), is amended to read as follows:
   2-20        Sec. 2.  Such vehicles may be operated only during daytime,
   2-21  as defined by Section 20A, Uniform Act Regulating Traffic on
   2-22  Highways (Article 6701d, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), <between
   2-23  the hours of sunrise and sunset as defined by law> and there shall
   2-24  at all times be displayed at the extreme rear end of the load
   2-25  carried on such vehicles a red flag or cloth not less than twelve
   2-26  (12) inches square and so hung that the entire area is visible to
   2-27  the driver of a vehicle approaching from the rear.
    3-1        SECTION 4.  (a)  The change in law made by this Act applies
    3-2  only to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this
    3-3  Act.  For purposes of this section, an offense is committed before
    3-4  the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurs
    3-5  before that date.
    3-6        (b)  An offense committed before the effective date of this
    3-7  Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed,
    3-8  and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
    3-9        SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
   3-10        SECTION 6.  The importance of this legislation and the
   3-11  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   3-12  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   3-13  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   3-14  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.