HBA-ATS C.S.H.B. 2995 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 2995 By: Culberson Transportation 4/29/1999 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current law does not clearly define the actions that constitute the offense of stopping in an intersection. C.S.H.B. 2995 prohibits an operator of a motor vehicle from entering an intersection unless the operator can expect to exit the intersection without halting and impeding cross traffic. In addition, this bill includes an inoperative traffic signal that controls an intersection of various types of streets or roadways among the conditions that require an operator of a motor vehicle to stop, yield, and grant immediate use of the intersection to another vehicle. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter G, Chapter 545, Transportation Code, by adding Section 545.3021, to prohibit an operator of a motor vehicle from entering an intersection unless the operator can expect to exit the intersection without halting and impeding cross traffic. SECTION 2. Amends Sections 545.151(b), (d), and (e), Transportation Code, to include an inoperative traffic signal that controls an intersection of various types of streets or roadways among the conditions that require an operator of a motor vehicle to stop, yield, and grant immediate use of the intersection to another vehicle. SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 4. Emergency clause. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE C.S.H.B. 2995 differs from the original bill in SECTION 1 (proposed Section 545.3021, Transportation Code) by prohibiting an operator of a motor vehicle from entering an intersection unless the operator can expect to exit the intersection without halting and impeding cross traffic, rather than unless the intersection is not obstructed by a halted vehicle or other obstruction and the operator can expect to exit the intersection without halting. C.S.H.B. 2995 differs from the original bill by redesignating SECTIONS 2 and 3 of the original to SECTIONS 3 and 4. In new SECTION 2, the substitute amends Sections 545.151(b), (d), and (e), Transportation Code, to include an inoperative traffic signal that controls an intersection of various types of streets or roadways among the conditions that require an operator of a motor vehicle to stop, yield, and grant immediate use of the intersection to another vehicle.