1-1     By:  Chisum (Senate Sponsor - Bivins)                   H.B. No. 17

 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 8, 1997;

 1-3     May 9, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on State

 1-4     Affairs; May 18, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote:

 1-5     Yeas 12, Nays 0; May 18, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to posting signs along roadsides to promote traffic

 1-9     safety.

1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-11           SECTION 1.  Subchapter K, Chapter 201, Transportation Code,

1-12     is amended by adding Section 201.905 to read as follows:

1-13           Sec. 201.905.  TRAFFIC SAFETY SIGNS.  (a)  The department may

1-14     implement a traffic safety program that includes posting signs

1-15     along the roadside at the 500 sites with the highest number of

1-16     traffic fatalities.  The signs shall be designed by the department

1-17     and may contain the following information:

1-18                 (1)  the number of fatalities that occurred at that

1-19     location in the last 10 years;

1-20                 (2)  the importance of driving safely and wearing seat

1-21     belts;

1-22                 (3)  the importance of not drinking and driving; and

1-23                 (4)  any other information the department determines is

1-24     necessary to promote safe driving.

1-25           (b)  A program under this section may also include literature

1-26     distributed to the public by the department.

1-27           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-28     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-29     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-30     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-31     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-32     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

1-33     passage, and it is so enacted.

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