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	Amend CSHB 300 (House committee printing) by adding the 
following ARTICLE to the bill, appropriately numbered, and 
renumbering subsequent ARTICLES accordingly:

ARTICLE ____.  USE OF SAFETY BELTS BY VEHICLE OPERATORS
	SECTION ____.01.  Section 545.413(e), Transportation Code, 
is amended to read as follows:
	(e)  It is a defense to prosecution under this section that:                   
		(1)  the person possesses a written statement from a 
licensed physician stating that for a medical reason the person 
should not wear a safety belt;
		(2)  the person presents to the court, not later than 
the 10th day after the date of the offense, a statement from a 
licensed physician stating that for a medical reason the person 
should not wear a safety belt;
		(3)  the person is employed by the United States Postal 
Service and performing a duty for that agency that requires the 
operator to service postal boxes from a vehicle or that requires 
frequent entry into and exit from a vehicle;
		(4)  the person is engaged in the actual delivery of 
newspapers from a vehicle or is performing newspaper delivery 
duties that require frequent entry into and exit from a vehicle;
		(5)  the person is employed by a public or private 
utility company and is engaged in the reading of meters or 
performing a similar duty for that company requiring the operator 
to frequently enter into and exit from a vehicle; [or]
		(6)  the [The] person is operating a commercial vehicle 
registered as a farm vehicle under the provisions of Section 
502.163 that does not have a gross weight, registered weight, or 
gross weight rating of 48,000 pounds or more; or
		(7)  the person is the operator of or a passenger in a 
vehicle used exclusively to transport solid waste and performing 
duties that require frequent entry into and exit from the vehicle.
	SECTION ____.02.  The change in law made by this Act to 
Section 545.413(e), Transportation Code, as amended by this Act, 
applies to an offense under Section 545.413(a) of that code 
regardless of whether the offense was committed before, on, or 
after the effective date of this Act.