AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Under current law, a municipality's governing body may allow golf carts and utility vehicles to have restricted access to certain public highways within the municipality's corporate boundaries while the commissioner’s court in certain counties may allow such carts and vehicles similar restricted access to certain public highways in unincorporated areas of those counties. Interested parties note that legislation is needed to extend this provision to allow for the operation and use of golf carts and certain utility vehicles on public highways in the unincorporated areas of certain other counties with similar features.
H.B. 719 amends the Transportation Code to expand the list of counties for which the commissioners court is authorized to allow an operator to operate a golf cart or utility vehicle on all or part of a public highway that has a speed limit of not more than 35 miles per hour and is located in the unincorporated area of the county, to include, in addition to a county that borders or contains a portion of the Guadalupe River and contains a part of a barrier island that borders the Gulf of Mexico, a county that borders or contains a portion of the Red River or a county that has a population of less than 30,000, contains a part of a barrier island that borders the Gulf of Mexico, and is adjacent to a county that borders or contains a portion of the Guadalupe River and contains a part of a barrier island that borders the Gulf of Mexico.
H.B. 719 amends current law relating to the operation of a golf cart or utility vehicle on a public highway in certain counties.
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 551.404, Transportation Code, by amending Subsection (a-1) and adding Subsection (a-2), as follows:
(a-1) Authorizes the commissioners court of a county described by Subsection (a-2), rather than a county that borders or contains a portion of the Guadalupe River and contains a part of a barrier island that borders the Gulf of Mexico, in addition to the operation authorized by Section 551.403 (Limited Operation), to allow an operator to operate a golf cart or utility vehicle on all or part of a public highway that is located in the unincorporated area of the county, and has a speed limit of not more than 35 miles per hour.
(a-2) Provides that Subsection (a-1) applies only to a county that:
(1) borders or contains a portion of the Red River;
(2) borders or contains a portion of the Guadalupe River and contains a part of a barrier island that borders the Gulf of Mexico; or
(3) is adjacent to a county described by Subdivision (2) and has a population of less than 30,000 and contains a part of a barrier island that borders the Gulf of Mexico.
SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2013.