By: Watson  S.B. No. 1919
         (In the Senate - Filed March 13, 2015; March 25, 2015, read
  first time and referred to Committee on Transportation;
  April 30, 2015, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
  Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 6, Nays 3; April 30, 2015,
  sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
  COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1919 By:  Huffines
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the establishment of a variable speed limit pilot
  program by the Texas Transportation Commission.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  DEFINITIONS. In this Act:
               (1)  "Commission" means the Texas Transportation
  Commission.
               (2)  "Department" means the Texas Department of
  Transportation.
         SECTION 2.  VARIABLE SPEED LIMIT PILOT PROGRAM. (a)  The
  commission by rule shall establish and the department shall
  implement a variable speed limit pilot program to study the
  effectiveness of temporarily lowering prima facie speed limits to
  address inclement weather, congestion, road construction, or any
  other condition that affects the safe and orderly movement of
  traffic on a roadway.  Notice of a speed limit established under the
  pilot program may be displayed using a stationary or portable
  changeable message sign, as defined by Section 544.013,
  Transportation Code.
         (b)  The commission shall select up to 10 locations to test
  the pilot program.
         (c)  The commission shall inform the Department of Public
  Safety and any affected local law enforcement agency about the
  pilot program and the locations that are being used to test the
  pilot program.
         (d)  A speed limit that is established under the pilot
  program:
               (1)  must be based on an engineering and traffic
  investigation;
               (2)  may be effective for all or a designated portion of
  the highway and may be effective for any period of the day or night,
  as the department determines necessary; and
               (3)  is effective only when the speed limit is posted
  and only if a sign notifying motorists of the change in speed limit
  is posted not less than 500 feet but not more than 1,000 feet before
  the point at which the speed limit begins.
         SECTION 3.  REPORT. Not later than December 31, 2016, the
  commission shall submit a report to the legislature that includes
  information about the pilot program, the results of the pilot
  program, and any recommendations for statutory changes based on the
  results of the pilot program.
         SECTION 4.  EXPIRATION. This Act expires February 1, 2017.
         SECTION 5.  EFFECTIVE DATE.  This Act takes effect
  immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members
  elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas
  Constitution.  If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for
  immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
 
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