88R7193 BEE-D
 
  By: Goodwin, Troxclair H.B. No. 1855
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the designation of highway safety corridors; increasing
  a fine.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  This Act shall be known as the Dr. Michael James
  Babineaux Act.
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter K, Chapter 201, Transportation Code,
  is amended by adding Section 201.9051 to read as follows:
         Sec. 201.9051.  HIGHWAY SAFETY CORRIDOR. (a)  In this
  section, "political subdivision" means a municipality or county.
         (b)  The department shall designate as a highway safety
  corridor a portion of a roadway containing a site with a high number
  of traffic accidents that lead to a serious injury or fatality as
  identified by the governing body of a political subdivision in
  whose jurisdiction the site is located.
         (c)  The department shall remove a highway safety corridor
  designation made under Subsection (b) on the 10th anniversary of
  the designation unless a governing body that identified the high
  traffic accident site notifies the department that the designation
  should be removed before that date or extended after that date. Each
  designation extension made under this subsection must be for a
  period of 10 years unless a shorter period is requested by the
  governing body and may be removed or extended as provided by this
  subsection for an initial designation.
         (d)  The department may:
               (1)  designate as a highway safety corridor a portion
  of a roadway containing a site with a high number of traffic
  accidents that lead to a serious injury or fatality as identified by
  the department; and
               (2)  at the department's discretion, remove a
  designation made under this subsection.
         (e)  The department shall erect a sign at each end of a
  designated portion of a roadway and at appropriate intermediate
  sites along the roadway:
               (1)  indicating that the roadway is a highway safety
  corridor; and
               (2)  stating "Fines double: highway safety corridor."
         (f)  The department by rule may prescribe forms for use by a
  political subdivision for the designation of a highway safety
  corridor under Subsection (b) and the removal or extension of a
  highway safety corridor designation under Subsection (c).
         (g)  The department may distribute literature to the public
  concerning highway safety corridors designated under this section.
         SECTION 3.  Subchapter D, Chapter 542, Transportation Code,
  is amended by adding Section 542.405 to read as follows:
         Sec. 542.405.  FINE FOR OFFENSE IN HIGHWAY SAFETY CORRIDOR.
  (a) In this section, "highway safety corridor" means a portion of a
  roadway designated under Section 201.9051.
         (b)  If an offense under this subtitle, other than an offense
  under Chapter 548 or 552 or Section 545.412 or 545.413, is committed
  in a highway safety corridor:
               (1)  the minimum fine applicable to the offense is
  twice the minimum fine that would be applicable to the offense if it
  were committed outside a highway safety corridor; and
               (2)  the maximum fine applicable to the offense is
  twice the maximum fine that would be applicable to the offense if it
  were committed outside a highway safety corridor.
         SECTION 4.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
  to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act.
  An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is
  covered by the law in effect immediately before the effective date
  of this Act, and the former law is continued in effect for that
  purpose. For purposes of this section, an offense was committed
  before the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense
  was committed before that date.
         SECTION 5.  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, 2023.