By Gallego                                            H.B. No. 3328
         76R9398 WP-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to speed limits on highways of this state.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 545.352(b), Transportation Code, is
 1-5     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)  75 [70] miles per hour in daytime and 65 miles per
1-12     hour 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;
 2-6                       (B)  55 miles per hour if the vehicle is a school
 2-7     bus on an interstate highway; or
 2-8                       (C)  60 miles per hour in daytime and 55 miles
 2-9     per hour in nighttime if the vehicle is a truck, other than a light
2-10     truck, or if the vehicle is a truck tractor, trailer, or
2-11     semitrailer, or a vehicle towing a trailer, semitrailer, another
2-12     motor vehicle or towable recreational vehicle.
2-13           SECTION 2.  Notwithstanding the change in law made by this
2-14     Act, on a highway or portion of a highway that on the effective
2-15     date of this Act has a speed limit of 70 miles per hour in daytime
2-16     and 65 miles per hour in nighttime, the speed limit may be
2-17     increased as provided by this Act only if the Texas Department of
2-18     Transportation determines that the increase is appropriate on that
2-19     highway or portion of highway.
2-20           SECTION 3.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-21     The change in law made by this Act applies only to an offense
2-22     committed on or after the effective date of this Act.  For purposes
2-23     of this section, an offense is committed before the effective date
2-24     of this Act if any element of the offense occurs before that date.
2-25           (b)  An offense committed before the effective date of this
2-26     Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed,
2-27     and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
 3-1           SECTION 4.  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.