By Wilson                                              H.B. No. 942
         76R3101 WP-F                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to applying traffic laws to private roads or parking lots
 1-3     generally used by the public.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 542, Transportation Code,
 1-6     is amended by adding Section 542.007 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 542.007.  SPEED AND TRAFFIC CONTROL RESTRICTIONS ON
 1-8     PRIVATE ROADS OR PARKING LOTS GENERALLY USED BY THE PUBLIC.  (a)
 1-9     The owners of a private road or private parking lot generally used
1-10     by the public may petition the Texas Transportation Commission or,
1-11     if the road or lot is located in a municipality, may petition the
1-12     municipality to extend any of the traffic rules of this subtitle to
1-13     the road or lot.  The petition must specify the traffic rules that
1-14     are sought to be extended.
1-15           (b)  After the commission or municipality receives a petition
1-16     and verifies the ownership of its signers, the commission or
1-17     municipality may issue an order extending a traffic rule of this
1-18     subtitle to the private road or lot if the commission or
1-19     municipality finds the order is in the interest of the  public
1-20     generally.  The order must specify which traffic rules of this
1-21     subtitle apply to the road or lot.
1-22           (c)  If an order is not issued as provided by Subsection (b)
1-23     within 90 days after the date the petition is received, the
1-24     commission or municipality shall hold a public hearing on the
 2-1     advisability of making the requested traffic rules applicable.  The
 2-2     hearing must be held in the county in which the portion of the road
 2-3     or lot that is the subject of the petition is located.  The
 2-4     commission or municipality shall publish notice of the hearing in a
 2-5     newspaper of general circulation in that county before the 10th day
 2-6     before the date of the hearing.
 2-7           (d)  At the hearing, if the commission or municipality finds
 2-8     that the order would be in the interests of the public generally,
 2-9     the commission or municipality shall issue an order extending the
2-10     traffic rules to the private road or lot.
2-11           (e)  After an order is issued under this section, the private
2-12     road or lot is considered to be a public highway for purposes of
2-13     setting and enforcing the specified traffic rules, and the
2-14     commission or municipality may place speed limit signs or traffic
2-15     control devices on property abutting the private road or lot if
2-16     those signs or devices relate to the specified traffic rule and if
2-17     the consent of the owner of that property is obtained.
2-18           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-19           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-20     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-21     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-22     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-23     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.