By Dunnam H.B. No. 1594
77R5382 DWS-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to allowing a train to stand on a street, railroad
1-3 crossing, or highway.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Sections 471.007(a) and (d), Transportation Code,
1-6 are amended to read as follows:
1-7 (a) A railway company commits an offense if a train of the
1-8 railway company is allowed to stand [obstructs] for more than 10
1-9 minutes on a street, railroad crossing, or public highway.
1-10 (d) It is a defense to prosecution under this section that
1-11 the train is allowed to stand on [obstructs] the street, railroad
1-12 crossing, or public highway because of an act of God or breakdown
1-13 of the train.
1-14 SECTION 2. (a) The change in law made by this Act applies
1-15 only to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this
1-16 Act. For the purposes of this section, an offense is committed
1-17 before the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense
1-18 occurs before that date.
1-19 (b) An offense committed before the effective date of this
1-20 Act is governed by the law in effect when the offense was
1-21 committed, and the former law is continued in effect for that
1-22 purpose.
1-23 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.