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AN ACT
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relating to the authority of certain municipalities to lower speed |
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limits on certain highways. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 545.356, Transportation Code, is amended |
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by amending Subsections (b-1), (c), and (d) and adding Subsection |
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(b-3) to read as follows: |
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(b-1) Except as provided by Subsection (b-3), the [The] |
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governing body of a municipality, for a highway or a part of a |
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highway in the municipality that is not an officially designated or |
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marked highway or road of the state highway system, may declare a |
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lower speed limit of not less than 25 miles per hour, if the |
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governing body determines that the prima facie speed limit on the |
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highway is unreasonable or unsafe. |
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(b-3) The governing body of a municipality with a population |
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of 2,000 or less, for a highway or a part of a highway in the |
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municipality that is a one-lane highway used for two-way access and |
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that is not an officially designated or marked highway or road of |
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the state highway system, may declare a lower speed limit of not |
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less than 10 miles per hour, if the governing body determines that |
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the prima facie speed limit on the highway is unreasonable or |
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unsafe. |
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(c) A prima facie speed limit that is altered by the |
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governing body of a municipality under Subsection (b), [or] (b-1), |
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or (b-3) is effective when the governing body erects signs giving |
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notice of the new limit and at all times or at other times as |
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determined. |
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(d) The governing body of a municipality that declares a |
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lower speed limit on a highway or part of a highway under Subsection |
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(b-1) or (b-3), not later than February 1 of each year, shall |
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publish on its Internet website and submit to the department a |
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report that compares for each of the two previous calendar years: |
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(1) the number of traffic citations issued by peace |
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officers of the municipality and the alleged speed of the vehicles, |
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for speed limit violations on the highway or part of the highway; |
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(2) the number of warning citations issued by peace |
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officers of the municipality on the highway or part of the highway; |
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and |
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(3) the number of vehicular accidents that resulted in |
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injury or death and were attributable to speed limit violations on |
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the highway or part of the highway. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |
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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. 2596 was passed by the House on May |
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10, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 144, Nays 0, 2 present, not |
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voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. |
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No. 2596 on May 27, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 141, Nays 0, |
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2 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. 2596 was passed by the Senate, with |
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amendments, on May 25, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays |
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0. |
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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 |