By Brimer H.B. No. 3208
74R10201 DWS-F
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to requiring safety chains for certain vehicles towing
1-3 trailers.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Subsections (b)-(f), Section 106A, Uniform Act
1-6 Regulating Traffic on Highways (Article 6701d, Vernon's Texas Civil
1-7 Statutes), are amended to read as follows:
1-8 (b) A person may not operate a passenger car or light truck
1-9 <vehicle> while towing a trailer, semitrailer, or house trailer on
1-10 a public highway unless safety chains of a type approved by the
1-11 department are attached in a manner approved by the department from
1-12 the trailer, semitrailer, or house trailer to the towing vehicle.
1-13 (c) The department shall adopt rules setting forth the type
1-14 of safety chains required to be used based on the weight of the
1-15 trailer, semitrailer, or house trailer being towed. The rules
1-16 shall:
1-17 (1) require safety chains to be strong enough to
1-18 maintain connection between the trailer, semitrailer, or house
1-19 trailer and the towing vehicle; and
1-20 (2) indicate the proper method of attachment of safety
1-21 chains between the trailer, semitrailer, or <the> house trailer and
1-22 the towing vehicle.
1-23 (d) The requirements of Subsection (b) of this section do
1-24 not apply to a passenger car or light truck <vehicle> towing a
2-1 trailer or semitrailer used for agricultural purposes.
2-2 (e) This section shall not apply to any trailer,
2-3 semitrailer, or house trailer which is operated in compliance with
2-4 the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.
2-5 (f) The rules adopted by the Department of Public Safety
2-6 under Subsection (c) of this section shall not apply to trailers,
2-7 semitrailers, or house trailers which are equipped with safety
2-8 chains installed by the original manufacturer before the effective
2-9 date of the rules.
2-10 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
2-11 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
2-12 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.