By: Morrison (Senate Sponsor - Nichols) H.B. No. 3087
         (In the Senate - Received from the House May 10, 2017;
  May 10, 2017, read first time and referred to Committee on
  Transportation; May 17, 2017, reported favorably by the following
  vote:  Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 17, 2017, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the definitions of highway maintenance and service
  vehicles for purposes of certain provisions governing vehicle
  equipment.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 547.001, Transportation Code, is amended
  by adding Subdivisions (2-b) and (6-a) to read as follows:
               (2-b)  "Highway maintenance vehicle" means a highway or
  traffic maintenance vehicle designated by the Texas Department of
  Transportation. The term includes equipment for:
                     (A)  road maintenance, including:
                           (i)  equipment for snow removal, line
  striping, skid resistance testing, sweeping, and spraying;
                           (ii)  aerial platform lift machines; and
                           (iii)  road profiler machines; and
                     (B)  off-road use, including motor graders, road
  rollers, excavators, pneumatic tire equipment, movers, and
  tractors.
               (6-a)  "Service vehicle" means a highway or traffic
  maintenance vehicle that:
                     (A)  is owned and operated on a highway by or for a
  governmental agency and performs a function requiring the use of a
  lamp or illuminating device in accordance with the standards and
  specifications adopted under Section 547.105; or
                     (B)  has a public service function, including
  public utility vehicles, tow trucks, and any vehicle designated as
  a service vehicle by the Texas Department of Transportation or as an
  escort flag vehicle under Section 623.099.
         SECTION 2.  The heading to Section 547.105, Transportation
  Code, is amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 547.105.  MAINTENANCE AND SERVICE VEHICLE [EQUIPMENT]
  LIGHTING STANDARDS.
         SECTION 3.  Sections 547.105(a) and (b), Transportation
  Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (a)  The Texas Department of Transportation shall adopt
  standards and specifications that:
               (1)  apply to lamps on highway maintenance and service
  vehicles [equipment, including snow-removal equipment]; and
               (2)  correlate with and conform as closely as possible
  to standards and specifications approved by the American
  Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
         (b)  The Texas Department of Transportation may adopt
  standards and specifications for lighting that permit the use of
  flashing lights for identification purposes on highway maintenance
  and service vehicles [equipment, including snow-removal
  equipment].
         SECTION 4.  Section 547.305(e), Transportation Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (e)  A person may not operate a highway maintenance or
  service vehicle [equipment, including snow-removal equipment,]
  that is not equipped with lamps or that does not display lighted
  lamps as required by the standards and specifications adopted by
  the Texas Department of Transportation.
         SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.
 
  * * * * *