Honorable Tommy Williams, Chair, Senate Committee on Transportation & Homeland Security
FROM:
John S O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB109 by Brown (Relating to the temporary lowering of prima facie speed limits at a vehicular accident reconstruction site.), Committee Report 2nd House, Substituted
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend several sections of the Transportation Code to authorize a municipality or a county commissioners court to temporarily lower prima facie speed limits at the site of reconstruction of an accident without seeking written approval from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), as defined by the provisions of the bill. TxDOT would be required to develop safety guidelines for the use of vehicular accident reconstruction in investigations. A municipality, county, or designated official must comply with TxDOT’s guidelines and notify TxDOT at least 48 hours before posting signs of the temporary speed limit for the reconstruction site, and of the date and time, the location, the entities involved, the size of the area affected, and a time estimate for the vehicular accident reconstruction site of an investigation. TxDOT would be authorized to remove signs and concealments if a designated official does not comply with the requirements.
Based on the analysis by TxDOT, it is assumed any costs or duties associated with implementing the provisions of the bill could be absorbed within the agency's existing resources.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.