HBA-EVB S.B. 349 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 349 By: Nixon Transportation 5/11/1999 Engrossed BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, Texas law requires vehicles that tow trailers, semitrailers, and towable recreational vehicles that are less than 20 feet in length to travel at slower speeds than certain other vehicles with trailers, and passenger cars. This bill allows passenger cars or light trucks towing trailers under 20 feet in length to travel at the same speeds as passenger cars and other vehicles. 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 Section 545.352(b), Transportation Code, to provide that lawful speeds include the following: 70 miles per hour in daytime and 65 miles per hour in nighttime on a highway numbered by this state or the United States outside an urban district, including a farm-to-market or ranch-to-market road, if the vehicle is, among others, a passenger car or light truck towing a trailer, semitrailer, or towable recreational vehicle less than 20 feet in length. Makes conforming changes. SECTION 2. Prohibits the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) from replacing a sign to reflect the change made to Section 545.352(b), Transportation Code, by this Act until replacement would have occurred in the course of regular maintenance by TxDOT. SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 4. Emergency clause.