By Gallego                                             H.B. No. 299
         77R131 DRH-F                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to speed limits on state highways.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1. Section 545.352(b), Transportation Code, as
 1-5     amended by Chapters 663, 739, and 1346, Acts of the 76th
 1-6     Legislature, Regular Session, 1999, is amended to read as follows:
 1-7           (b)  Unless a special hazard exists that requires a slower
 1-8     speed for compliance with Section 545.351(b), the following speeds
 1-9     are lawful:
1-10                 (1)  30 miles per hour in an urban district on a street
1-11     other than an alley and 15 miles per hour in an alley;
1-12                 (2)  75 [70] miles per hour in daytime and 65 miles per
1-13     hour in nighttime if the vehicle is on a highway numbered by this
1-14     state or the United States outside an urban district, including a
1-15     farm-to-market or ranch-to-market road, except as provided by
1-16     Subdivision (4);
1-17                 (3)  60 miles per hour in daytime and 55 miles per hour
1-18     in nighttime if the vehicle is on a highway that is outside an
1-19     urban district and not a highway numbered by this state or the
1-20     United States;
1-21                 (4)  outside an urban district:
1-22                       (A)  60 miles per hour if the vehicle is a school
1-23     bus that has passed a commercial motor vehicle inspection under
1-24     Section 548.201 and is on a highway numbered by the United States
 2-1     or this state, including a farm-to-market road;
 2-2                       (B)  50 miles per hour if the vehicle is a school
 2-3     bus that:
 2-4                             (i)  has not passed a commercial motor
 2-5     vehicle inspection under Section 548.201; or
 2-6                             (ii)  is traveling on a highway not
 2-7     numbered by the United States or this state; or
 2-8                       (C)  60 miles per hour in daytime and 55 miles
 2-9     per hour in nighttime if:
2-10                             (i)  the vehicle is a truck, other than a
2-11     light truck, or if the vehicle is a truck tractor, trailer, or
2-12     semitrailer; and
2-13                             (ii)  the vehicle is on a farm-to-market or
2-14     ranch-to-market road;   
2-15                 (5)  on a beach, 15 miles per hour; or
2-16                 (6)  on a county road adjacent to a public beach, 15
2-17     miles per hour, if declared by the commissioners court of the
2-18     county.
2-19           SECTION 2.  Notwithstanding the change in law made by this
2-20     Act, on a highway or portion of a highway that on the effective
2-21     date of this Act has a speed limit of 70 miles per hour in daytime
2-22     and 65 miles per hour in nighttime, the speed limit may be
2-23     increased as provided by this Act only if the Texas Department of
2-24     Transportation determines that the increase is appropriate on that
2-25     highway or portion of highway.
2-26           SECTION 3.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
2-27     The change in law made by this Act applies only to an offense
 3-1     committed on or after the effective date of this Act.  For purposes
 3-2     of this section, an offense was committed before the effective date
 3-3     of this Act if any element of the offense occurred before that
 3-4     date.
 3-5           (b)  An offense committed before the effective date of this
 3-6     Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed,
 3-7     and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.