Bill Text: TX HB2204 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to the establishment of a variable speed limit pilot program by the Texas Transportation Commission.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2013-06-14 - Effective immediately [HB2204 Detail]
Download: Texas-2013-HB2204-Enrolled.html
| H.B. No. 2204 | ||
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| relating to the establishment of a variable speed limit pilot | ||
| program by the Texas Transportation Commission. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. In this Act: | ||
| (1) "Commission" means the Texas Transportation | ||
| Commission. | ||
| (2) "Department" means the Texas Department of | ||
| Transportation. | ||
| SECTION 2. VARIABLE SPEED LIMIT PILOT PROGRAM. (a) The | ||
| commission by rule shall establish and the department shall | ||
| implement a variable speed limit pilot program to study the | ||
| effectiveness of temporarily lowering prima facie speed limits to | ||
| address inclement weather, congestion, road construction, or any | ||
| other condition that affects the safe and orderly movement of | ||
| traffic on a roadway. Notice of a speed limit established under the | ||
| pilot program may be displayed using a stationary or portable | ||
| changeable message sign, as defined by Section 544.013, | ||
| Transportation Code. | ||
| (b) The commission shall select up to three locations to | ||
| test the pilot program. | ||
| (c) The commission shall inform the Department of Public | ||
| Safety and any affected local law enforcement agency about the | ||
| pilot program and the locations that are being used to test the | ||
| pilot program. | ||
| (d) A speed limit that is established under the pilot | ||
| program: | ||
| (1) must be based on an engineering and traffic | ||
| investigation; | ||
| (2) may be effective for all or a designated portion of | ||
| the highway and may be effective for any period of the day or night, | ||
| as the department determines necessary; and | ||
| (3) is effective only when the speed limit is posted | ||
| and only if a sign notifying motorists of the change in speed limit | ||
| is posted not less than 500 feet but not more than 1,000 feet before | ||
| the point at which the speed limit begins. | ||
| SECTION 3. REPORT. Not later than December 31, 2014, the | ||
| commission shall submit a report to the legislature that includes | ||
| information about the pilot program, the results of the pilot | ||
| program, and any recommendations for statutory changes based on the | ||
| results of the pilot program. | ||
| SECTION 4. EXPIRATION. This Act expires February 1, 2015. | ||
| SECTION 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. 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, 2013. | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I certify that H.B. No. 2204 was passed by the House on May 2, | ||
| 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 145, Nays 2, 2 present, not | ||
| voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. | ||
| No. 2204 on May 24, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 144, Nays 2, | ||
| 2 present, not voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| I certify that H.B. No. 2204 was passed by the Senate, with | ||
| amendments, on May 22, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays | ||
| 0. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| APPROVED: __________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| __________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
