1-1     By:  Hawley (Senate Sponsor - Cain)                   H.B. No. 2138

 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House April 21, 1997;

 1-3     April 23, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on

 1-4     International Relations, Trade, and Technology; May 1, 1997,

 1-5     reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 6, Nays 0;

 1-6     May 1, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-7                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-8                                   AN ACT

 1-9     relating to the standards for certain equipment on vehicles.

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

1-11           SECTION 1.  Subchapter E, Chapter 547, Transportation Code,

1-12     is amended by adding Section 547.3215 to read as follows:

1-13           Sec. 547.3215.  USE OF FEDERAL STANDARD.  Unless specifically

1-14     prohibited by this chapter, lighting, reflective devices, and

1-15     associated equipment on a vehicle or motor vehicle must comply

1-16     with:

1-17                 (1)  the current federal standards in 49 C.F.R. Section

1-18     571.108; or

1-19                 (2)  the federal standards in that section in effect,

1-20     if any, at the time the vehicle or motor vehicle was manufactured.

1-21           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-22           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-23     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-24     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-25     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-26     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

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