C.S.H.B. 1527 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 1527 By: Harper-Brown Transportation Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE H.B. 1527 78(R) Currently, there is no specific provision or direction to motorists regarding actions to be taken if they approach a traffic signal with no indications displayed. Loss of power at a traffic signal is a fairly rare event, but it can cause significant congestion during rush hour conditions. There is a general misunderstanding of the appropriate actions to take when approaching an intersection with no indications, and this confusion can lead to collisions in the intersection resulting in injury and property damage. CSHB 1527 would correct an omission in state law and would clarify correct actions for motorists. CSHB 1527 would direct an operator of a vehicle facing a traffic-control signal that does not display any indication to treat the traffic-control signal as a stop sign therefore granting immediate use of the intersection. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS SECTION 1: Amends Section 544.007 of the Transportation Code by adding Subsection (i) to require that an operator treat a traffic-signal that does not display any indication as if the intersection had a stop sign. SECTION 2: Amends Section 545.151 (a) of the Transportation Code by separating subsection (A) from subsection (1) and adding subsection (B) to require that an operator approaching an intersection with a traffic-control signal that does not display any indication should stop, yield and grant immediate use of the intersection. EFFECTIVE DATE Upon passage, or, if the act does not receive the necessary vote, the act takes effect September 1, 2003. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE The substitute differs from the original in that the substitute replaces the phrase "does not display any indication"with the phrase "does not display any indication in any of the signal heads" in SECTION 1, Subsection (i), lines 8 and 9 and SECTION 2, Subsection (B), lines 17 and 18.