1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the venue for prosecution of the offense of failing or

 1-3     refusing to pay the toll imposed for the operation of a motor

 1-4     vehicle on a toll project of certain counties.

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

 1-6           SECTION 1.  Section 284.070, Transportation Code, is amended

 1-7     by adding Subsection (d) to read as follows:

 1-8           (d)  In a county with a population over 2.8 million, an

 1-9     offense under this section may be prosecuted in any precinct in the

1-10     county in which the offense was committed.

1-11           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.  The

1-12     change in law made by this Act applies only to the prosecution for

1-13     an offense committed on or after September 1, 1997.  The

1-14     prosecution of an offense committed before September 1, 1997, is

1-15     covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed, and

1-16     the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.  For

1-17     purposes of this section, an offense was committed before September

1-18     1, 1997, if any element of the offense occurred before that date.

1-19           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-20     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-21     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-22     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-23     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

         _______________________________     _______________________________

             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House

               I certify that H.B. No. 2502 was passed by the House on May

         10, 1997, by a non-record vote.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Chief Clerk of the House

               I certify that H.B. No. 2502 was passed by the Senate on May

         26, 1997, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Secretary of the Senate

         APPROVED:  _____________________

                            Date

                    _____________________

                          Governor