1-1 By: Nelson S.B. No. 896 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed March 2, 1995; March 6, 1995, read 1-3 first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs; 1-4 March 29, 1995, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 13, 1-5 Nays 0; March 29, 1995, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to a vehicle left unattended on a controlled access 1-9 highway. 1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-11 SECTION 1. Subdivision (2), Section 5.01, Chapter 741, Acts 1-12 of the 67th Legislature, Regular Session, 1981 (Article 4477-9a, 1-13 Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended to read as follows: 1-14 (2) "Abandoned motor vehicle" means a motor vehicle 1-15 that is inoperable and more than five years old and left unattended 1-16 on public property for more than 48 hours, or a motor vehicle that 1-17 has remained illegally on public property for a period of more than 1-18 48 hours, or a motor vehicle that has remained on private property 1-19 without the consent of the owner or person in control of the 1-20 property for more than 48 hours, or a motor vehicle left unattended 1-21 on the right-of-way of a designated county, state, or federal 1-22 highway within this state for more than 48 hours or for more than 1-23 12 hours on: 1-24 (A) a turnpike project constructed and 1-25 maintained by the Texas Turnpike Authority; or 1-26 (B) a controlled access highway, as defined by 1-27 Section 13, Uniform Act Regulating Traffic on Highways (Article 1-28 6701d, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes). 1-29 SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only 1-30 to a motor vehicle that becomes unattended on or after the 1-31 effective date of this Act. A motor vehicle that became unattended 1-32 before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in 1-33 effect when the motor vehicle became unattended, and that law is 1-34 continued in effect for that purpose. 1-35 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1995. 1-36 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 1-37 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-38 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-39 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-40 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 1-41 * * * * *