1-1     By:  Hawley (Senate Sponsor - Shapleigh)               H.B. No. 932
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House April 26, 1999;
 1-3     April 27, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on State
 1-4     Affairs; May 12, 1999, reported favorably by the following vote:
 1-5     Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 12, 1999, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to the use of towing safety chains.
 1-9           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-10           SECTION 1.  Sections 545.410(a), (b), and (d), Transportation
1-11     Code, are amended to read as follows:
1-12           (a)  An operator of a passenger car or light truck may not
1-13     draw a trailer, semitrailer, [or] house trailer, or another motor
1-14     vehicle unless safety chains of a type approved by the department
1-15     are attached in a manner approved by the department from the
1-16     trailer,  semitrailer, [or] house trailer, or drawn motor vehicle
1-17     to the drawing vehicle.  This subsection does not apply to the
1-18     drawing of a trailer or semitrailer used  for agricultural
1-19     purposes.
1-20           (b)  The department shall adopt rules prescribing the type of
1-21     safety chains required to be used according to the weight of the
1-22     trailer, semitrailer, [or] house trailer, or motor vehicle being
1-23     drawn.  The rules shall:
1-24                 (1)  require safety chains to be strong enough to
1-25     maintain the connection between the trailer, semitrailer, [or]
1-26     house trailer, or drawn motor vehicle and the drawing vehicle; and
1-27                 (2)  show the proper method to attach safety chains
1-28     between the trailer, semitrailer, [or] house trailer, or drawn
1-29     motor vehicle and the drawing vehicle.
1-30           (d)  This section does not apply to a trailer, semitrailer,
1-31     [or] house trailer, or drawn motor vehicle that is operated in
1-32     compliance with  the federal motor carrier safety regulations.
1-33           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-34           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-35     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-36     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-37     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-38     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
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