1-1 By: Brimer (Senate Sponsor - Harris) H.B. No. 3208
1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House May 15, 1995;
1-3 May 18, 1995, read first time and referred to Committee on State
1-4 Affairs; May 25, 1995, reported favorably by the following vote:
1-5 Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 25, 1995, sent to printer.)
1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-7 AN ACT
1-8 relating to requiring safety chains for certain vehicles towing
1-9 trailers.
1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11 SECTION 1. Subsections (b)-(f), Section 106A, Uniform Act
1-12 Regulating Traffic on Highways (Article 6701d, Vernon's Texas Civil
1-13 Statutes), are amended to read as follows:
1-14 (b) A person may not operate a passenger car or light truck
1-15 <vehicle> while towing a trailer, semitrailer, or house trailer on
1-16 a public highway unless safety chains of a type approved by the
1-17 department are attached in a manner approved by the department from
1-18 the trailer, semitrailer, or house trailer to the towing vehicle.
1-19 (c) The department shall adopt rules setting forth the type
1-20 of safety chains required to be used based on the weight of the
1-21 trailer, semitrailer, or house trailer being towed. The rules
1-22 shall:
1-23 (1) require safety chains to be strong enough to
1-24 maintain connection between the trailer, semitrailer, or house
1-25 trailer and the towing vehicle; and
1-26 (2) indicate the proper method of attachment of safety
1-27 chains between the trailer, semitrailer, or <the> house trailer and
1-28 the towing vehicle.
1-29 (d) The requirements of Subsection (b) of this section do
1-30 not apply to a passenger car or light truck <vehicle> towing a
1-31 trailer or semitrailer used for agricultural purposes.
1-32 (e) This section shall not apply to any trailer,
1-33 semitrailer, or house trailer which is operated in compliance with
1-34 the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.
1-35 (f) The rules adopted by the Department of Public Safety
1-36 under Subsection (c) of this section shall not apply to trailers,
1-37 semitrailers, or house trailers which are equipped with safety
1-38 chains installed by the original manufacturer before the effective
1-39 date of the rules.
1-40 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
1-41 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
1-42 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-43 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-44 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-45 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
1-46 * * * * *