By Mowery                                        H.B. No. 390

      75R282 JD-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to prima facie speed limits for vehicles on highways.

 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 545.352(b), Transportation Code, is

 1-5     amended to read as follows:

 1-6           (b)  Unless a special hazard exists that requires a slower

 1-7     speed for compliance with Section 545.351(b), the following speeds

 1-8     are lawful:

 1-9                 (1)  30 miles per hour in an urban district on a street

1-10     other than an alley and 15 miles per hour in an alley;

1-11                 (2)  70 miles per hour in daytime and 65 miles per hour

1-12     in nighttime if the vehicle is [a passenger car or motorcycle] on a

1-13     highway numbered by this state or the United States outside an

1-14     urban district, including a farm-to-market or ranch-to-market road;

1-15                 (3)  60 miles per hour in daytime and 55 miles per hour

1-16     in nighttime if the vehicle is [a passenger car or motorcycle] on a

1-17     highway that is outside an urban district and not a highway

1-18     numbered by this state or the United States;

1-19                 (4)  60 miles per hour outside an urban district if a

1-20     speed limit for the vehicle is not otherwise specified by this

1-21     section; or

1-22                 (5)  outside an urban district:

1-23                       (A)  45 miles per hour, if the vehicle is towing

1-24     a house trailer of an actual or registered gross weight heavier

 2-1     than 4,500 pounds or larger than 32 feet, excluding the tow bar;

 2-2                       (B)  50 miles per hour if the vehicle is a school

 2-3     bus on a highway other than an interstate highway; or

 2-4                       (C)  55 miles per hour if the vehicle is a school

 2-5     bus on an interstate highway [60 miles per hour in daytime and 55

 2-6     miles per hour in nighttime if the vehicle is a truck, other than a

 2-7     light truck, or if the vehicle is a truck tractor, trailer, or

 2-8     semitrailer, or a vehicle towing a trailer, semitrailer, another

 2-9     motor vehicle or house trailer of an actual or registered gross

2-10     weight lighter than 4,500 pounds and a length of 32 feet or

2-11     shorter, excluding the tow bar].

2-12           SECTION 2.  In addition to the substantive changes in law

2-13     made by this Act, this Act conforms Section 545.352(b),

2-14     Transportation Code, to Section 1, Chapter 295, Acts of the 74th

2-15     Legislature, Regular Session, 1995.

2-16           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.  The

2-17     changes in law made by this Act relating to the operation of a

2-18     vehicle other than a school bus apply only to the operation of the

2-19     vehicle on or after September 1, 1997.  The operation of a vehicle

2-20     other than a school bus before September 1, 1997, is covered by the

2-21     law in effect when the vehicle was operated, and the former law is

2-22     continued in effect for that purpose.

2-23           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-24     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-25     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-26     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-27     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.