1-1     By:  Driver (Senate Sponsor - Wentworth)              H.B. No. 2733

 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 13, 1997;

 1-3     May 13, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on State

 1-4     Affairs; May 18, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote:

 1-5     Yeas 13, Nays 0; May 18, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to the operation of golf carts on a public road or

 1-9     highway.

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

1-11           SECTION 1.  Section 502.284, Transportation Code, is amended

1-12     to read as follows:

1-13           Sec. 502.284.  GOLF CARTS.  An owner of a golf cart driven to

1-14     and from a golf course is not required to register the golf cart

1-15     if:

1-16                 (1)  the operation of the golf cart occurs in the

1-17     daytime, as defined by Section 541.401; and

1-18                 (2)  the operation:

1-19                       (A)  does not exceed a distance of two miles from

1-20     the point of origin to the destination; or

1-21                       (B)  occurs entirely within a master planned

1-22     community with a uniform set of restrictive covenants that has had

1-23     a plat approved by a county or a municipality.

1-24           SECTION 2.  Section 547.002, Transportation Code, is amended

1-25     to read as follows:

1-26           Sec. 547.002.  APPLICABILITY.  Unless a provision is

1-27     specifically made applicable, this chapter and the rules of the

1-28     department adopted under this chapter do not apply to:

1-29                 (1)  an implement of husbandry;

1-30                 (2)  road machinery;

1-31                 (3)  a road roller;

1-32                 (4)  a farm tractor; [or]

1-33                 (5)  a bicycle, a bicyclist, or bicycle equipment; or

1-34                 (6)  a golf cart not required to be registered under

1-35     Section 502.284.

1-36           SECTION 3.  Section 601.052(a), Transportation Code, is

1-37     amended to read as follows:

1-38           (a)  Section 601.051 does not apply to:

1-39                 (1)  the operation of a motor vehicle that:

1-40                       (A)  is a former military vehicle or is at least

1-41     25 years old;

1-42                       (B)  is used only for exhibitions, club

1-43     activities, parades, and other functions of public interest and not

1-44     for regular transportation; and

1-45                       (C)  for which the owner files with the

1-46     department an affidavit, signed by the owner, stating that the

1-47     vehicle is a collector's item and used only as described by

1-48     Paragraph (B);

1-49                 (2)  the operation of a golf cart not required to be

1-50     registered under Section 502.284; or

1-51                 (3)  a volunteer fire department for the operation of a

1-52     motor vehicle the title of which is held in the name of a volunteer

1-53     fire department.

1-54           SECTION 4.  In addition to the substantive changes made by

1-55     this Act, this Act conforms Section 601.052(a), Transportation

1-56     Code, to Section 4, Chapter 443, Acts of the 74th Legislature,

1-57     Regular Session, 1995.  To the extent of any conflict, this Act

1-58     prevails over another Act of the 75th Legislature, Regular Session,

1-59     1997, relating to nonsubstantive additions and amendments to

1-60     enacted codes.

1-61           SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-62           SECTION 6.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-63     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-64     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.

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