78R6871 DWS-D

By:  Casteel                                                      H.B. No. 1520



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to allowing a train to stand on a street, railroad 
crossing, or highway.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Sections 471.007(a) and (d), Transportation 
Code, are amended to read as follows:
	(a)  A railway company commits an offense if a train of the 
railway company is allowed to stand [obstructs] for more than 10 
minutes on a street, railroad crossing, or public highway.
	(d)  It is a defense to prosecution under this section that 
the train is allowed to stand on [obstructs] the street, railroad 
crossing, or public highway because of an act of God or breakdown of 
the train.
	SECTION 2.  (a)  The change in law made by this Act applies 
only to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this 
Act.  For the purposes of this section, an offense is committed 
before the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense 
occurs before that date.
	(b)  An offense committed before the effective date of this 
Act is governed by the law in effect when the offense was committed, 
and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
	SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.