HBA-MSH H.B. 503 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 503 By: Pickett Public Safety 2/28/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current law authorizes certain municipal police officers to enforce commercial motor vehicle safety standards. These standards regulate the maintenance, equipment, loading, and operation of commercial motor vehicles. House Bill 503 authorizes a sheriff or deputy sheriff of a county to apply to the Department of Public Safety (DPS) for certification to enforce commercial motor vehicle safety standards. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking authority is expressly delegated to the Department of Public Safety in SECTION 1 (Section 644.101, Transportation Code) and SECTION 2 (Section 644.102, Transportation Code) of this bill. ANALYSIS House Bill 503 amends the Transportation Code to provide that a sheriff or deputy sheriff of a county is eligible to apply to the Department of Public Safety (DPS) for certification to enforce commercial motor vehicle safety standards (safety standards). The bill extends the rulemaking authority of DPS to require DPS to establish reasonable fees sufficient to recover from a county the cost of certifying its peace officers and to establish uniform standards for county enforcement of safety standards. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2001.