Sec. 644.053.  LIMITATIONS OF RULES.  (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 person:
(A)  was regularly employed in this state as a commercial motor vehicle operator in intrastate commerce before August 28, 1989; and
(B)  is not transporting property that requires a hazardous material placard;
(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 service; 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 source.
(b)  For purposes of Subsection (a)(3)(A), an owner's time records must at a minimum include:
(1)  the time an operator reports for duty each day;
(2)  the number of hours an operator is on duty each day;
(3)  the time an operator is released from duty each day; and
(4)  an operator's signed statement in compliance with 49 C.F.R. Section 395.8(j)(2).
(c)  In this section, "agricultural commodity" means an agricultural, horticultural, viticultural, silvicultural, or vegetable product, bees or honey, planting seed, cottonseed, rice, livestock or a livestock product, or poultry or a poultry product that is produced in this state, either in its natural form or as processed by the producer, including woodchips.
(d)  A rule adopted by the director under this chapter that relates to hours of service, an operator's record of duty status, or an operator's daily log, for operations outside a 150-mile radius of the normal work-reporting location, also applies to and must be complied with by a motor carrier of household goods not using a commercial motor vehicle.  In this subsection:
(1)  "commercial motor vehicle" has the meaning assigned by Section 548.001;  and
(2)  "motor carrier" has the meaning assigned by Section 643.001.
Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 30.151(a), eff. Sept. 1, 1997.  Amended by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 62, Sec. 17.27(a), 17.27(b), eff. Sept. 1, 1999.
Amended by: 
Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 872 (S.B. 1074), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2005.