79R5133 MTB-D


By:  McCall, et al.                                               H.B. No. 160



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to motor vehicles equipped with recording devices.                   
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Subchapter K, Chapter 547, Transportation Code, 
is amended by adding Section 547.615 to read as follows:
	Sec. 547.615.  RECORDING DEVICES.  (a)  In this section, 
"recording device" means a feature that is installed by the 
manufacturer in a motor vehicle and that does any of the following 
for the purpose of retrieving information from the vehicle after an 
accident in which the vehicle has been involved:
		(1)  records the speed and direction the vehicle is 
traveling;       
		(2)  records vehicle location data;                                    
		(3)  records steering performance;                                     
		(4)  records brake performance, including information 
on whether brakes were applied before an accident;
		(5)  records the driver's safety belt status; or                       
		(6)  transmits information concerning the accident to a 
central communications system when the accident occurs.
	(b)  A manufacturer of a new motor vehicle that is sold or 
leased in this state and that is equipped with a recording device 
shall disclose that fact in the owner's manual of the vehicle.
	(c)  Information recorded or transmitted by a recording 
device may not be retrieved by a person other than the owner of the 
motor vehicle in which the recording device is installed except on 
court order or with the consent of the owner.
	(d)  If a recording device is used as part of a subscription 
service, the subscription service agreement must disclose that the 
device may record or transmit information as described by 
Subsection (a).  Subsection (c) does not apply to a subscription 
service under this subsection.
	SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2006.