Bill Text: TX HB1946 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the designation of highway safety corridors; increasing a fine.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-03-15 - Referred to Transportation [HB1946 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB1946-Introduced.html
| 87R6752 BEE-F | ||
| By: Goodwin | H.B. No. 1946 | |
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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. Subchapter K, Chapter 201, Transportation Code, | ||
| is amended by adding Section 201.9051 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 201.9051. HIGHWAY SAFETY CORRIDOR. (a) The | ||
| department shall designate as a highway safety corridor a portion | ||
| of a roadway containing a site with a high number of traffic | ||
| fatalities, as identified by the governing body of the municipality | ||
| or county in whose jurisdiction the site is located. | ||
| (b) The department shall erect a sign at each end of the | ||
| highway safety corridor and at appropriate intermediate sites along | ||
| the corridor: | ||
| (1) indicating that it is a highway safety corridor; | ||
| and | ||
| (2) stating "Fines double: highway safety corridor." | ||
| (c) The department may distribute literature to the public | ||
| concerning highway safety corridors designated under this section. | ||
| (d) The commission by rule shall establish processes for the | ||
| governing body of a municipality or county to: | ||
| (1) identify sites with high numbers of traffic | ||
| fatalities; and | ||
| (2) inform the department of sites identified under | ||
| Subdivision (1) for designation as a highway safety corridor. | ||
| SECTION 2. Subchapter D, Chapter 542, Transportation Code, | ||
| is amended by adding Section 542.4046 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 542.4046. FINE FOR OFFENSE IN HIGHWAY SAFETY CORRIDOR. | ||
| (a) In this section, "highway safety corridor" means a portion of a | ||
| roadway designated by the department in accordance with 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 3. As soon as practicable after the effective date | ||
| of this Act, the Texas Department of Transportation by rule shall | ||
| establish the processes required by Section 201.9051(d), | ||
| Transportation Code, as added by this Act. | ||
| 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 September 1, 2021. | ||
