By Gallego H.B. No. 1703 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the application and enforcement of traffic regulations 1-3 in certain private subdivisions. 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. TRAFFIC REGULATIONS: PRIVATE SUBDIVISION IN 1-8 CERTAIN COUNTIES. (a) This section applies only to a subdivision 1-9 that is located in the unincorporated area of a county with a 1-10 population of 10,000 or less. 1-11 (b) On petition of 25 percent of the property owners 1-12 residing in a subdivision in which the roads are privately 1-13 maintained or on the request of the governing body of the entity 1-14 that maintains those roads, the commissioners court of the county 1-15 by order may extend any traffic rules that apply to a county road 1-16 to the roads of the subdivision if the commissioners court finds 1-17 the order in the interest of the county generally. The petition 1-18 must specify the traffic rules that are sought to be extended. The 1-19 court order may extend any or all of the requested traffic rules. 1-20 (c) As a condition of extending a traffic rule under 1-21 Subsection (b), the commissioners court may require that owners of 1-22 the property in the subdivision pay all or part of the cost of 1-23 extending and enforcing the traffic rules in the subdivision. The 1-24 commissioners court shall consult with the sheriff to determine the 2-1 cost of enforcing traffic rules in the subdivision. 2-2 (d) On issuance of an order under this section, the private 2-3 roads in the subdivision are considered to be county roads for 2-4 purposes of the application and enforcement of the specified 2-5 traffic rules. The commissioners court may place official traffic 2-6 control devices on property abutting the private roads if: 2-7 (1) those devices relate to the specified traffic 2-8 rule; and 2-9 (2) the consent of the owner of that property is 2-10 obtained. 2-11 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 2-12 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-13 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-14 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-15 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-16 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.