BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 1411

By: Deuell

Transportation

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties contend that enforcement of traffic laws on public roads that are owned by conservation and reclamation districts can be problematic because such roads are outside the jurisdiction of any municipality or county and the districts often lack adequate enforcement capabilities.  S.B. 1411 seeks to address this gap in traffic law enforcement by allowing a county to enforce traffic regulations on district-owned roads.

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

S.B. 1411 amends the Government Code to authorize a county commissioners court to enter into an interlocal contract with the board of a conservation and reclamation district in order to apply the county's traffic regulations to a public road in the county that is owned, operated, and maintained by the district if the commissioners court finds that it is in the county's interest to regulate traffic on the public road.

S.B. 1411 amends the Transportation Code to authorize a county commissioners court by order to apply the county's traffic regulations to a public road in the county that is owned, operated, and maintained by a conservation and reclamation district and located wholly or partly in the county if the commissioners court and the board of the district have entered into such an interlocal contract. The bill establishes that a public road subject to such an order is considered to be a county road for purposes of applying a traffic regulation to the public road. The bill authorizes a county commissioners court to adopt regulations establishing a system of traffic control devices in restricted traffic zones on property abutting a public road that is the subject of such an order if the property is owned by the district that is subject to the order or is a public right-of-way.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2013.