HB3966 - Relating to requiring owners or operators of commercial passenger bus services to provide certain notifications to residents concerning operations.

      H.B. No. 3966         AN ACT   relating to requiring owners or operators of commercial passenger   bus services to provide certain notifications to residents   concerning operations.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Subtitle C, Title 5, Business & Commerce Code, is   amended by adding Chapter 121 to read as follows:   CHAPTER 121. REGULATION OF COMMERCIAL PASSENGER BUS SERVICES           Sec. 121.001.  DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:                 (1)     "Commercial passenger bus service" means a   business that in exchange for compensation operates a passenger bus   service that provides regularly scheduled intercity bus   transportation to passengers using buses with at least 35 seats.   The term does not include a public transit service provided by or on   behalf of a transit authority or district, transit department,   municipality, political subdivision, or other local governmental   entity.                 (2)  "Terminal" means an installation:                       (A)     located on the premises of a commercial   passenger bus service; and                       (B)     at which tickets are sold to passengers by   the service.           Sec.   121.002.     NOTIFICATION OF NEW TERMINALS. (a) Except as   provided by Subsection (d), at least 90 calendar days before the   date an owner or operator of a commercial passenger bus service   begins operating a new terminal located in this state, the owner or   operator shall provide notice of the proposed terminal to the   community in which the terminal is to be located as prescribed by   Subsection (b).           (b)  The notice required by this section must:                 (1)     be published in a newspaper of general circulation   in the municipality:                       (A)     in which the proposed terminal is to be   located; or                       (B)     nearest to the proposed location of the   terminal; and                 (2)     except as provided by Subsection (c), if the   elementary or middle school nearest to the proposed location of the   terminal provides a bilingual education program as required by   Subchapter B, Chapter 29, Education Code, be published by the owner   or operator at least once in an additional publication of general   circulation in the municipality or county in which the terminal is   proposed to be located that is published in the language taught in   the bilingual education program.           (c)     An owner or operator of a commercial bus service does   not have to comply with the requirements of Subsection (b)(2) if:                 (1)     a publication described by that subdivision does   not exist; or                 (2)     the publisher of a publication that meets the   requirements of that subdivision refuses to publish notice.           (d)     An owner or operator of a commercial passenger bus   service does not have to comply with this section if the owner or   operator is operating or intends to temporarily operate the new   terminal in response to an unforeseen emergency, including a   natural disaster or road closures.          SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.       ______________________________ ______________________________      President of the Senate Speaker of the House                   I certify that H.B. No. 3966 was passed by the House on May   15, 2025, by the following vote:  Yeas 116, Nays 24, 2 present, not   voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.   No. 3966 on May 29, 2025, by the following vote:  Yeas 89, Nays 44,   1 present, not voting.     ______________________________   Chief Clerk of the House               I certify that H.B. No. 3966 was passed by the Senate, with   amendments, on May 26, 2025, by the following vote:  Yeas 26, Nays   5.     ______________________________   Secretary of the Senate      APPROVED: __________________                   Date                       __________________                 Governor