BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

                                                                                                                                      C.S.H.B. 937

                                                                                                                       By: Martinez, "Mando"

                                                                                                                                     Transportation

                                                                                                        Committee Report (Substituted)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

As toll roads become more common throughout Texas, more and more restrictions are being placed on the type of vehicles that can travel on toll roads without paying a toll.  Currently, various toll roads require, or are starting to require, police, fire, medical, and other emergency vehicles to pay a toll unless they are pursuing a suspect, responding to an emergency, or displaying a flashing light.  The purpose of this bill is to allow the same level of public safety on toll roads as on tax roads.  Additionally, this bill will clarify and specify the types of police and/or emergency vehicles that are exempt from paying a toll. 

 

CSHB 937 exempts all police and emergency vehicles, marked or unmarked, from paying a toll regardless of whether they are responding to an emergency or displaying a flashing light.

 

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.  Section 228.054(a), Transportation Code, is amended to include that the exemption from payment of a toll for an authorized emergency vehicle applies regardless of whether the vehicle is responding to an emergency, displaying a flashing light, or marked as an emergency vehicle or unmarked.

 

SECTION 2.  Section 284.070, Transportation Code, is amended by adding Subsection (e) to include that an authorized emergency vehicle is exempt from the payment of a toll regardless of whether the vehicle is responding to an emergency, displaying a flashing light, or marked as an emergency vehicle or unmarked.

 

SECTION 3.  Section 366.178(a), Transportation Code, is amended to exempt from the payment of a toll for a police or emergency vehicle applies regardless of whether the vehicle is responding to an emergency, displaying a flashing light, or marked as a police or emergency vehicle or unmarked.

 

SECTION 4.  Section 370.177(a), Transportation Code, is amended to exempt from the payment of a toll for an authorized emergency vehicle applies regardless of whether the vehicle is responding to an emergency, displaying a flashing light, or marked as an emergency vehicle or unmarked.

 

SECTION 5.  The effective date.

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2007.

 

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

 

The substitute adds new language to include in the exemption from the payment of a toll a police or emergency vehicle regardless of whether the vehicle is marked or unmarked.