1-1     By:  McReynolds (Senate Sponsor - Ogden)              H.B. No. 2230
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 9, 2001;
 1-3     May 10, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal
 1-4     Justice; May 11, 2001, reported favorably by the following vote:
 1-5     Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 11, 2001, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to the reporting and investigation of motor vehicle
 1-9     accidents.
1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11           SECTION 1. Section 550.041(a), Transportation Code, is
1-12     amended to read as follows:
1-13           (a)  A peace officer who is notified of a motor vehicle
1-14     accident resulting in injury to or death of a person or property
1-15     damage to an apparent extent of at least $1,000 [$500] may
1-16     investigate the accident and file justifiable charges relating to
1-17     the accident without regard to whether the accident occurred on
1-18     property to which this chapter applies.
1-19           SECTION 2. Section 550.061(a), Transportation Code, is
1-20     amended to read as follows:
1-21           (a)  The operator of a vehicle involved in an accident shall
1-22     make a written report of the accident if the accident is not
1-23     investigated by a law enforcement officer and the accident resulted
1-24     in injury to or the death of a person or damage to the property of
1-25     any one person to an apparent extent of $1,000 [$500] or more.
1-26           SECTION 3. Section 550.062(a), Transportation Code, is
1-27     amended to read as follows:
1-28           (a)  A law enforcement officer who in the regular course of
1-29     duty investigates a motor vehicle accident shall make a written
1-30     report of the accident if the accident resulted in injury to or the
1-31     death of a person or damage to the property of any one person to
1-32     the apparent extent of $1,000 [$500] or more.
1-33           SECTION 4. Section 601.004(a), Transportation Code, is
1-34     amended to read as follows:
1-35           (a)  The operator of a motor vehicle that is involved in an
1-36     accident in this state shall report the accident to the department
1-37     not later than the 10th day after the date of the accident if:
1-38                 (1)  the accident is not investigated by a law
1-39     enforcement officer; and
1-40                 (2)  at least one person, including the operator,
1-41     sustained:
1-42                       (A)  bodily injury or death; or
1-43                       (B)  property damage to an apparent extent of at
1-44     least $1,000 [$500].
1-45           SECTION 5. (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
1-46           (b)  The changes in law made by this Act to Sections 550.041,
1-47     550.061, 550.062, and 601.004, Transportation Code, apply only to a
1-48     motor vehicle accident that occurs on or after the effective date
1-49     of this Act.  A motor vehicle accident that occurred before the
1-50     effective date of this Act is covered by the law in effect on the
1-51     date the accident occurred, and the former law is continued in
1-52     effect for that purpose.
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