1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to safety regulations for certain contract carriers.

 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Article 6675d, Revised Statutes, is amended by

 1-5     adding Section 3A to read as follows:

 1-6           Sec. 3A.  REGULATION OF CONTRACT CARRIERS OF CERTAIN

 1-7     PASSENGERS.  (a)  This section applies only to a contract carrier

 1-8     transporting the operating employees of a railroad on a road or

 1-9     highway of this state in a vehicle designed to carry 15 or fewer

1-10     passengers.

1-11           (b)  The department shall adopt rules regulating the

1-12     operation of a contract carrier to which this section applies.  The

1-13     rules must include provisions that:

1-14                 (1)  prohibit a person from operating a vehicle for

1-15     more than 12 hours in a day;

1-16                 (2)  require a person that operates a vehicle for a

1-17     number of consecutive hours or days the department determines is

1-18     excessive to rest for a period determined by the department;

1-19                 (3)  require a contract carrier to keep a record of all

1-20     hours a vehicle subject to regulation under this section is

1-21     operated; and

1-22                 (4)  are determined by the department to be necessary

1-23     to protect the safety of the passengers being transported or the

1-24     general public.

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

 2-2           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-3     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-4     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-5     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-6     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. 3252 was passed by the House on April

         18, 1997, by a non-record vote.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Chief Clerk of the House

               I certify that H.B. No. 3252 was passed by the Senate on May

         19, 1997, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Secretary of the Senate

         APPROVED:  _____________________

                            Date

                    _____________________

                          Governor