HB 1376

AN ACT relating to the authority of the public safety director of the

House Bill Virdell | McLaughlin | Canales
Filed

Filed

Bill introduced by legislator

Committee

Hearing

Passed Cmte

Calendar

Passed

Sent

Enrolled

Governor

Signed

89th Regular Session

Jan 14, 2025 - Jun 2, 2025 • Session ended

Awaiting Committee Assignment

Bill filed, pending referral to House committee

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What This Bill Does

This Texas bill modifies rules for intrastate commercial motor vehicle operators, limiting the Department of Public Safety's ability to mandate certain regulations. Specifically, the bill prevents new rules that would: restrict driver work hours beyond 12-hour shifts with 8 hours off, require specific medical standards for long-time intrastate drivers, mandate electronic logging devices for intrastate vehicles, and impose strict driving time limits during agricultural planting and harvesting seasons. The legislation aims to provide more flexibility for commercial drivers, particularly in agricultural and local transportation sectors, while maintaining basic safety standards.

Subject Areas

Bill Text

relating to the authority of the public safety director of the
Department of Public Safety to adopt rules requiring the use and
installation of intrastate commercial motor vehicle electronic
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1.  Section 644.053(a), Transportation Code, is
(a)  A rule adopted under this chapter may not:
(1)  prevent an intrastate operator from operating a
vehicle up to 12 hours following eight consecutive hours off;
(2)  require a person to meet the medical standards
provided in the federal motor carrier safety regulations if the
(A)  was regularly employed in this state as a
commercial motor vehicle operator in intrastate commerce before
(B)  is not transporting property that requires a
(3)  require a person who returns to the work-reporting
location, is released from work within 12 consecutive hours, has at
least eight consecutive hours off between each 12-hour period the
person is on duty, and operates within a 150-air-mile radius of the
normal work-reporting location to maintain a driver's record of
duty status as described by 49 C.F.R. Section 395.8, provided that
the person maintains time records in compliance with 49 C.F.R.
Section 395.1(e)(5) and documents that verify the truth and
accuracy of the time records such as:
(A)  business records maintained by the owner that
provide the date, time, and location of the delivery of a product or
(B)  documents required to be maintained by law,
including delivery tickets or sales invoices, that provide the date
of delivery and the quantity of merchandise delivered; [or]
(4)  impose during a planting or harvesting season
maximum driving and on-duty times on an operator of a vehicle
transporting an agricultural commodity in intrastate commerce for
agricultural purposes from the source of the commodity to the first
place of processing or storage or the distribution point for the
commodity, if the place is located within 150 air miles of the
(5)  require an electronic logging device:
(A)  to record an intrastate operator's duty
(B)  to be installed in a commercial motor vehicle
used only for intrastate commerce.
SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.

Bill History

filed

Bill filed: AN ACT relating to the authority of the public safety director of the