TWT H.B. 3252 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS


TRANSPORTATION
H.B. 3252
By: Finnell
4-5-97
Committee Report (Unamended)



BACKGROUND 

Currently, railroads use contract carriers to move their employees from
the site of a crew change back to the employees' home terminal.  Often the
same drivers for the contract carrier make several of these trips in  a
day causing fatigue for the drivers.  This practice creates a potentially
hazardous situation for the drivers, the passengers, and the general
public travelling the highways.  

PURPOSE

House Bill 3252 will require the adoption of safety rules for the
operation of contract carriers designed to carry 15 or fewer passengers
who transport operating employees of a railroad. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill expressly grants additional
rulemaking authority to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) in
Subsection (b) of new Section 3A contained in Section 1 of the bill. The
rules would prohibit hours of operations, require rest periods for drivers
and record keeping for contract carriers. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Article 6675d, Revised Statutes, by adding a Section 3A
which would: 
 
 (a) apply only to contract carriers transporting operating employees of a
railroad in a vehicle designed to carry 15 or fewer passengers 

 (b) require DPS to regulate contract carriers by adopting rules including
those which would: 

(1) prohibit a person from operating such vehicles for more than 12 hours
in a day; 
(2) determine a period of operation time that is deemed excessive and
require a rest period; 
(3) require the carrier to keep a record of hours which a vehicle is
operated; and 
(4) include other rules determined necessary to protect the safety of
passengers and the general public.  

SECTION 2.  Effective date -- September 1, 1997.

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.