By McReynolds                                   H.B. No. 2469

      75R7063 JD-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the operation of vehicles transporting timber or timber

 1-3     products and to the operation of vehicles transporting poles or

 1-4     pipe.

 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-6           SECTION 1.  Section 622.043, Transportation Code, is amended

 1-7     to read as follows:

 1-8           Sec. 622.043.  CONFORMITY WITH GENERAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO

 1-9     VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT.  The width, height, and gross weight of a

1-10     vehicle or combination of vehicles subject to this subchapter shall

1-11     conform to Chapter 621, except when it is necessary to shorten the

1-12     distance between any two axles on a vehicle to safely transport the

1-13     load.

1-14           SECTION 2.  Section 622.062(b), Transportation Code, is

1-15     amended to read as follows:

1-16           (b)  A strobe light or red flag or cloth not less than 12

1-17     inches square must be displayed at the rear of the load carried on

1-18     the vehicle so that the light or the entire area of the flag or

1-19     cloth is visible to the driver of a vehicle approaching from the

1-20     rear.

1-21           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-22           SECTION 4.  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

 2-1     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

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