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.