BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 1218
By: Averitt
Transportation & Homeland Security
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Even though probably extremely small, the number of bridge collapses and associated fatalities are important information and an official record of such events should be maintained and accessible. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) collects similar data for crash records and at intersections, but no such record exists for bridges.
S.B. 1218 amends current law relating to the collection of data by the Texas Department of Transportation regarding bridge collapses.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 201.805, Transportation Code, as added by Chapter 1407 (S.B. 766), Acts of the 80th Legislature, Regular Session, 2007, as follows:
Sec. 201.805. ACCIDENT REPORTS. (a) Requires the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to annually or more frequently publish statistical information derived from the accident reports as to the number, cause, and location of highway accidents, including information regarding the number of fatalities caused by a bridge collapse, as defined by Section 550.081, and not later than December 15 of each even-numbered year provide to the governor and the legislature a report with TxDOT's conclusions, findings, and recommendations for decreasing highway accidents and increasing highway and bridge safety. Makes nonsubstantive changes.
(b) Makes no changes to this subsection.
SECTION 2. Reenacts and amends Section 550.081, Transportation Code, as amended by Chapters 74 (H.B. 423) and 1407 (S.B. 766), Acts of the 80th Legislature, Regular Session, 2007, as follows:
Sec. 550.081. REPORT OF MEDICAL EXAMINER OR JUSTICE OF THE PEACE. (a) Defines "department," and "bridge collapse."
(b) Creates this subsection from existing text. Requires a medical examiner or justice of the peace acting as coroner in a county that does not have a medical examiner's office or that is not part of a medical examiner's district to submit a report in writing to TxDOT of the death of a person that was the result of a traffic accident or bridge collapse, to which this chapter applies, and that occurred within the jurisdiction of the medical examiner or justice of the peace in the preceding calendar quarter. Makes nonsubstantive changes.
(c) Redesignates Subsection (b) as Subsection (c). Requires that the report be submitted before the 11th day of each calendar month and include the date of the accident and the name of the county in which the accident occurred, and, if a bridge collapse, the location of the bridge in that county.
(d) Redesignates Subsection (c) as Subsection (d).
(e) Redesignates Subsection (d) as Subsection (e). Makes a conforming change.
(f) Redesignates Subsection (e) as Subsection (f).
SECTION 3. Provides that to the extent of any conflict, this Act prevails over another Act of the 81st Legislature, Regular Session, 2009, relating to nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in enacted codes.
SECTION 4. Effective date: September 1, 2009.