HBA-KDB S.B. 1511 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 1511 By: Lucio Transportation 5/17/2001 Engrossed BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current law, the penalty for altering or removing a traffic control device (device) or railroad sign or signal (sign) is a fine of not less than $1 or more than $200. There is concern that the offense of removing or altering a device or sign may result in traffic accidents that cause bodily injury or property damage. Senate Bill 1511 provides that such an offense is a Class B misdemeanor if the removal or alteration causes a person other than the person committing the offense to suffer an injury or property damage. 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 Senate Bill 1511 amends the Transportation Code to provide that a person commits a Class B misdemeanor if the removal or alteration of a traffic control device (device) or railroad sign or signal (sign) causes another person to suffer property damage or bodily injury. The bill prohibits a person from selling a device or sign to a recycler, and prohibits a recycler from recycling all or part of the material in a device or sign. These provisions do not apply to a device or sign sold or recycled by a governmental entity as permitted by law. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.