By Swinford                                           H.B. No. 1545
       74R5251 DWS-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the hours of operation of certain agricultural vehicles
    1-3  towing more than one trailer.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Subsection (a), Section 106, Uniform Act
    1-6  Regulating Traffic on Highways (Article 6701d, Vernon's Texas Civil
    1-7  Statutes), is amended to read as follows:
    1-8        (a)  No driver of a motor vehicle shall drive upon any
    1-9  highway outside of the limits of an incorporated city or town
   1-10  drawing or having attached thereto more than one (1) vehicle except
   1-11  as herein provided; such vehicle may be a trailer, semi-trailer,
   1-12  pole trailer, or another vehicle; provided, however, that there may
   1-13  be attached to motor vehicles used exclusively in the actual
   1-14  harvesting of perishable fresh fruits and vegetables not to exceed
   1-15  two (2) trailers, under the following conditions:
   1-16              1.  The origin of fruits and vegetables must be an
   1-17  orchard or a field where the same are grown and the destination
   1-18  must be a packing or processing plant or shed not more than fifty
   1-19  (50) miles distant from such field or orchard.
   1-20              2.  The combination of vehicles must be operated only
   1-21  during daytime <the period from sunrise to sunset>, and at a rate
   1-22  of speed not to exceed twenty-five (25) miles per hour.
   1-23              3.  The fruits and vegetables transported in such
   1-24  trailers must be in bulk or field crates.
    2-1              4.  The width, height, and gross weight of each trailer
    2-2  and/or combination of trailers shall conform to the requirements
    2-3  set forth in Article 827a, Revised Penal Code of the State of
    2-4  Texas, and all other laws of this State governing same.
    2-5              5.  No one harvesting trailer shall exceed seventeen
    2-6  (17) feet, nine (9) inches in length, nor shall any combination of
    2-7  two (2) trailers and motor vehicle as provided herein, exceed
    2-8  fifty-five (55) feet overall length.
    2-9              6.  No laborers or "harvesting hands" shall be carried
   2-10  in or on the trailers while so used.
   2-11        SECTION 2.  (a)  The change in law made by this Act applies
   2-12  only to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this
   2-13  Act.  For purposes of this section, an offense is committed before
   2-14  the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurs
   2-15  before that date.
   2-16        (b)  An offense committed before the effective date of this
   2-17  Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed,
   2-18  and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
   2-19        SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
   2-20        SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-21  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-22  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-23  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-24  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.