By:  Harwood                                          S.B. No. 1581
         99S0557/1                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                       AN ACT
 1-1     relating to the investigation and reporting of certain motor
 1-2     vehicle accidents.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Subsection (a), Section 550.041, Transportation
 1-5     Code, is amended to read as follows:
 1-6           (a)  A peace officer who is notified of a motor vehicle
 1-7     accident resulting in injury to or death of a person or property
 1-8     damage to an apparent extent of at least $1,000 [$500] may
 1-9     investigate the accident and file justifiable charges relating to
1-10     the accident without regard to whether the accident occurred on
1-11     property to which this chapter applies.
1-12           SECTION 2.  Subsection (a), Section 550.061, Transportation
1-13     Code, is amended to read as follows:
1-14           (a)  The operator of a vehicle involved in an accident shall
1-15     make a written report of the accident if the accident is not
1-16     investigated by a law enforcement officer and the accident resulted
1-17     in injury to or the death of a person or damage to the property of
1-18     any one person to an apparent extent of $1,000 [$500] or more.
1-19           SECTION 3.  Subsection (a), Section 550.062, Transportation
1-20     Code, is amended to read as follows:
1-21           (a)  A law enforcement officer who in the regular course of
1-22     duty investigates a motor vehicle accident shall make a written
1-23     report of the accident if the accident resulted in injury to or the
1-24     death of a person or damage to the property of any one person to
 2-1     the apparent extent of $1,000 [$500] or more.
 2-2           SECTION 4.  This act takes effect September 1, 1999.
 2-3           SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the
 2-4     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 2-5     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 2-6     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-7     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.