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.