By Armbrister                                          S.B. No. 450
         76R3142 WP-F                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to markings required on certain vehicles.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 642.002, Transportation Code, is amended
 1-5     to read as follows:
 1-6           Sec. 642.002.  IDENTIFYING MARKINGS ON CERTAIN VEHICLES
 1-7     REQUIRED;  OFFENSE;  PENALTY.  (a)  A person commits an offense if:
 1-8                 (1)  the person operates on a public street, road, or
 1-9     highway:
1-10                       (A)  a commercial motor vehicle that has three or
1-11     more axles;
1-12                       (B)  a truck-tractor;
1-13                       (C)  a road-tractor; or
1-14                       (D)  a tow truck; and
1-15                 (2)  the vehicle does not have on each side of the
1-16     power unit identifying markings that comply with the identifying
1-17     marking requirements specified by 49 C.F.R.  Section 390.21 or
1-18     that:
1-19                       (A)  show the name [and address, including city
1-20     and state,] of the owner or operator of the vehicle;
1-21                       (B)  have clearly legible letters and numbers of
1-22     a height of at least two inches; and
1-23                       (C)  show the motor carrier registration number
1-24     in clearly legible letters and numbers, if the vehicle is required
 2-1     to be registered  under this chapter.
 2-2           (b)  A person commits an offense if the person operates on a
 2-3     public street, road, or highway a tow truck that does not show on
 2-4     each side of the power unit, in addition to the markings required
 2-5     by Subsection (a)(2), the city in which the owner or operator
 2-6     maintains its place of business and the  telephone number,
 2-7     including area code, at that place of business in clearly legible
 2-8     letters and numbers.
 2-9           (c)  The owner of a vehicle commits an offense if the owner
2-10     or operator permits another to operate a vehicle in violation of
2-11     Subsection (a) or (b).
2-12           (d) [(c)]  The Texas Department of Transportation by rule may
2-13     prescribe additional requirements regarding the form of the
2-14     markings required  by Subsection (a)(2) that are not inconsistent
2-15     with that subsection.
2-16           (e) [(d)]  An offense under this section is a Class C
2-17     misdemeanor.
2-18           SECTION 2.  (a)  This Act takes effect July 1, 1999.  The
2-19     change in law made by this Act applies only to an offense committed
2-20     on or after the effective date of this Act.  For purposes of this
2-21     section, an offense is committed before the effective date of this
2-22     Act if any element of the offense occurs before that date.
2-23           (b)  An offense committed before the effective date of this
2-24     Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed,
2-25     and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
2-26           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-27     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 3-1     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 3-2     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 3-3     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
 3-4     and that this Act take effect and be in force according to its
 3-5     terms, and it is so enacted.