H.B. No. 2731 amends the Transportation Code to enhance the regulation of roadside vendors and solicitors in counties with populations exceeding 200,000. The bill allows the commissioners court of such counties to regulate specific activities in unincorporated areas, particularly in parking lots or on public highways and roads. The activities that can be regulated include the sale of items and the erection or maintenance of structures by vendors of live animals, as well as the solicitation of money. The previous restriction that limited regulation to public highways with a speed limit of 40 miles per hour or faster has been removed.

Additionally, the bill stipulates that counties may require vendors to maintain a distance from the edge of the public highway or road that is equal to half the width of the adjacent right-of-way. Importantly, the bill clarifies that counties cannot adopt regulations that prohibit the sale of livestock. This legislation is set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Transportation Code 285.001 (Transportation Code 285)
House Committee Report: Transportation Code 285.001 (Transportation Code 285)
Engrossed: Transportation Code 285.001 (Transportation Code 285)
Senate Committee Report: Transportation Code 285.001 (Transportation Code 285)
Enrolled: Transportation Code 285.001 (Transportation Code 285)