BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 920

By: Kacal

Culture, Recreation & Tourism

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties note that certain emergency services providers lack adequate authority to operate all-terrain vehicles on certain roads and contend that such operation could improve emergency response times and services in rural areas. H.B. 920 seeks to address this issue by providing for such authority.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

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

H.B. 920 amends the Transportation Code to change the position at which the authorized operator of an all-terrain vehicle must attach a triangular orange flag to the back of the vehicle before driving the vehicle on a public street, road, or highway that is not an interstate or
limited-access highway from on top of an eight-foot-long pole to at least six feet above ground level. The bill extends a peace officer's conditional authority to operate an all-terrain vehicle on such a street, road, or highway to another person who provides law enforcement, firefighting, ambulance, medical, or other emergency services, including a volunteer firefighter, and removes as one of the conditions of such authority the operation of the vehicle not exceeding a distance of 25 miles from the point of origin to the destination.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2017.