Bill Text: TX HB1855 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Relating to the designation of highway safety corridors; increasing a fine.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-05-11 - Placed on General State Calendar [HB1855 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB1855-Comm_Sub.html
88R7193 BEE-D | ||
By: Goodwin, Troxclair | H.B. No. 1855 |
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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. |