BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 540

By: Campbell

Transportation

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Current law limits the eligibility to apply for commercial motor vehicle safety certification to police officers within certain municipalities. These limits have left certain other communities with a public safety issue. Commercial motor vehicles are able to drive through these communities while law enforcement does not have the ability to enforce commercial motor vehicle safety standards, due to lacking the appropriate certification to do so. Overloaded and unsafe commercial motor vehicles should not be allowed to continue passing through these communities unchecked. S.B. 540 seeks to address this issue by making certain police officers eligible to apply for certification to enforce commercial motor vehicle safety standards.

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

S.B. 540 amends the Transportation Code to include among the police officers eligible to apply for certification to enforce commercial motor vehicle safety standards a police officer of a municipality that is located as follows:

· within 20 miles of an international airport; and

· in a county that:

o contains an active quarry;

o has a population of more than 150,000 but less than 170,000; and

o is adjacent to a county with a population of more than two million.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.