By Brimer                                        H.B. No. 977

      75R3212 DWS-F                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the use of safety chains with certain trailers,

 1-3     semitrailers, and house trailers.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 545.410(d), Transportation Code, is

 1-6     amended to conform to Section 1, Chapter 842, Acts of the 74th

 1-7     Legislature, Regular Session, 1995, and further amended to read as

 1-8     follows:

 1-9           (d)  This section does not apply to a trailer, semitrailer,

1-10     or house trailer that is:

1-11                 (1)  operated in compliance with the federal motor

1-12     carrier safety regulations; or

1-13                 (2)  connected to the towing vehicle by a fifth-wheel

1-14     or gooseneck method.

1-15           SECTION 2.  In addition to the substantive changes in law

1-16     made by this Act, this Act conforms the Transportation Code to

1-17     changes in law made by Section 1, Chapter 842, Acts of the 74th

1-18     Legislature, Regular Session, 1995.

1-19           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-20           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-21     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-22     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-23     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-24     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.