HBA-NRS H.B. 3597 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3597
By: Capelo
Transportation
4/27/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Venues away from school campuses where students congregate for sporting
events or other major attractions may be adjacent to highways with high
speed limits. At a recent school sporting event, a student was killed after
being hit by a car while running across traffic. Current law does not allow
the governing body of a municipality to alter speed limits for highways
adjacent to venues holding sporting events or other major attractions.
House Bill 3597 allows the governing body of a municipality to temporarily
lower speed limits on highways adjacent to venues currently holding
sporting events or other major attractions. 

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. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 3597 amends the Transportation Code to provide that the
governing body of a municipality has the authority to temporarily lower,
using speed zone limit flashers, the prima facie speed limits on an
officially designated or marked highway of the state highway system in the
municipality for sporting events or other major attractions. The bill
prohibits the governing body of a municipality from modifying the provision
prohibiting an operator from driving at a speed greater than is reasonable
and prudent under the existing circumstances or establishing a speed limit
of more than 60 miles per hour. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2001.