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AN ACT
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relating to requiring owners or operators of commercial passenger |
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bus services to provide certain notifications to residents |
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concerning operations. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subtitle C, Title 5, Business & Commerce Code, is |
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amended by adding Chapter 121 to read as follows: |
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CHAPTER 121. REGULATION OF COMMERCIAL PASSENGER BUS SERVICES |
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Sec. 121.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
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(1) "Commercial passenger bus service" means a |
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business that in exchange for compensation operates a passenger bus |
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service that provides regularly scheduled intercity bus |
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transportation to passengers using buses with at least 35 seats. |
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The term does not include a public transit service provided by or on |
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behalf of a transit authority or district, transit department, |
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municipality, political subdivision, or other local governmental |
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entity. |
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(2) "Terminal" means an installation: |
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(A) located on the premises of a commercial |
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passenger bus service; and |
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(B) at which tickets are sold to passengers by |
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the service. |
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Sec. 121.002. NOTIFICATION OF NEW TERMINALS. (a) Except as |
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provided by Subsection (d), at least 90 calendar days before the |
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date an owner or operator of a commercial passenger bus service |
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begins operating a new terminal located in this state, the owner or |
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operator shall provide notice of the proposed terminal to the |
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community in which the terminal is to be located as prescribed by |
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Subsection (b). |
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(b) The notice required by this section must: |
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(1) be published in a newspaper of general circulation |
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in the municipality: |
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(A) in which the proposed terminal is to be |
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located; or |
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(B) nearest to the proposed location of the |
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terminal; and |
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(2) except as provided by Subsection (c), if the |
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elementary or middle school nearest to the proposed location of the |
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terminal provides a bilingual education program as required by |
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Subchapter B, Chapter 29, Education Code, be published by the owner |
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or operator at least once in an additional publication of general |
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circulation in the municipality or county in which the terminal is |
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proposed to be located that is published in the language taught in |
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the bilingual education program. |
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(c) An owner or operator of a commercial bus service does |
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not have to comply with the requirements of Subsection (b)(2) if: |
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(1) a publication described by that subdivision does |
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not exist; or |
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(2) the publisher of a publication that meets the |
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requirements of that subdivision refuses to publish notice. |
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(d) An owner or operator of a commercial passenger bus |
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service does not have to comply with this section if the owner or |
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operator is operating or intends to temporarily operate the new |
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terminal in response to an unforeseen emergency, including a |
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natural disaster or road closures. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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______________________________ |
______________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.B. No. 3966 was passed by the House on May |
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15, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 116, Nays 24, 2 present, not |
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voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. |
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No. 3966 on May 29, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 89, Nays 44, |
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1 present, not voting. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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I certify that H.B. No. 3966 was passed by the Senate, with |
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amendments, on May 26, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 26, Nays |
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5. |
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______________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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APPROVED: __________________ |
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Date |
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__________________ |
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Governor |