HBA-CDB S.B. 836 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 836 By: Duncan Transportation 5-14-1999 Engrossed BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, Texas law requires all school buses carrying students to travel at speeds not exceeding 55 miles per hour on an interstate and 50 miles per hour elsewhere. In certain school districts that travel long distances to extracurricular activities, students must leave class earlier, and arrive home later. S.B. 836 increases the speed limit for certain buses used to transport students to school activities. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 541.201, Transportation Code, as follows: (15) Adds new text to define "school activity bus." (16) Redefines "school bus." Redesignated from Subdivision (15). (17)-(23) Redesiganted from Subdivisions (16)-(22). SECTION 2. Amends Section 545.352(c), Transportation Code, to provide that the speed limits for a bus or other vehicle engaged in the business of transporting passengers for compensation or hire, for a commercial vehicle used as a highway post office vehicle for highway post office service in the transportation of United States mail, for a light truck, and for a school activity bus are the same as required for a passenger car at the same time and location. SECTION 3. Amends Section 521.022, Transportation Code, by adding Subsection (i), to provide that for the purposes of this section, "school bus" includes a school activity bus as defined by Section 541.201 (Vehicles). SECTION 4. Amends Section 548.001, Transportation Code, to make conforming changes. SECTION 5. Amends Section 548.201(b), Transportation Code, to include that an inspection program for commercial motor vehicles under this section also applies to any school activity bus, as defined in Section 541.201, that has a gross weight, registered weight, or gross weight rating of more than 26,000 pounds, or is designed to transport more than 15 passengers, including the driver. SECTION 6. Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.