76R8274 WP-F By Walker, et al. H.B. No. 385 Substitute the following for H.B. No. 385: By Uher C.S.H.B. No. 385 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to speed limits for school buses. 1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-4 SECTION 1. Sections 545.352(b) and (c), Transportation Code, 1-5 are amended to read as follows: 1-6 (b) Unless a special hazard exists that requires a slower 1-7 speed for compliance with Section 545.351(b), the following speeds 1-8 are lawful: 1-9 (1) 30 miles per hour in an urban district on a street 1-10 other than an alley and 15 miles per hour in an alley; 1-11 (2) 70 miles per hour in daytime and 65 miles per hour 1-12 in nighttime if the vehicle is a passenger car, motorcycle, 1-13 passenger car or light truck towing a trailer bearing a vessel, as 1-14 defined by Section 31.003, Parks and Wildlife Code, that is less 1-15 than 26 feet in length, or passenger car or light truck towing a 1-16 trailer or semitrailer designed and used primarily to transport 1-17 livestock, on a highway numbered by this state or the United States 1-18 outside an urban district, including a farm-to-market or 1-19 ranch-to-market road; 1-20 (3) 60 miles per hour in daytime and 55 miles per hour 1-21 in nighttime if the vehicle is a passenger car or motorcycle on a 1-22 highway that is outside an urban district and not a highway 1-23 numbered by this state or the United States; 1-24 (4) 60 miles per hour outside an urban district if a 2-1 speed limit for the vehicle is not otherwise specified by this 2-2 section; or 2-3 (5) outside an urban district: 2-4 (A) 50 miles per hour if the vehicle is a school 2-5 bus on a highway other than an interstate highway, except as 2-6 provided by Subsection (c); 2-7 (B) 55 miles per hour if the vehicle is a school 2-8 bus on an interstate highway, except as provided by Subsection (c); 2-9 or 2-10 (C) 60 miles per hour in daytime and 55 miles 2-11 per hour in nighttime if the vehicle is a truck, other than a light 2-12 truck, or if the vehicle is a truck tractor, trailer, or 2-13 semitrailer, or a vehicle towing a trailer, semitrailer, another 2-14 motor vehicle or towable recreational vehicle. 2-15 (c) The speed limits for a bus or other vehicle engaged in 2-16 the business of transporting passengers for compensation or hire, 2-17 for a commercial vehicle used as a highway post office vehicle for 2-18 highway post office service in the transportation of United States 2-19 mail, for a school bus transporting students and necessary 2-20 personnel on extracurricular activities, and for a light truck are 2-21 the same as required for a passenger car at the same time and 2-22 location. Each school district, with approval of the board of 2-23 trustees, shall establish a speed limit, not to exceed the maximum 2-24 prima facie speed limit established by this section, for each type 2-25 of bus used by the school district to ensure the safety of students 2-26 being transported on the bus. 2-27 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 3-1 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 3-2 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 3-3 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 3-4 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-5 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.