H.B. No. 2731 amends the Transportation Code to provide counties with populations over 200,000 the authority to regulate specific activities of roadside vendors and solicitors in unincorporated areas. The bill allows for the regulation of the sale of items and the erection, maintenance, or placement of structures by vendors of live animals, as well as the solicitation of money. It also stipulates that counties may require vendors to be located a certain distance from the edge of public highways or roads, specifically not closer than half the width of the adjacent right-of-way. Notably, the bill clarifies that counties cannot prohibit the sale of livestock.

The legislation modifies existing language by removing the previous population threshold of 870,000 and the limitation on regulating activities only on public highways with speed limits of 40 miles per hour or faster. The bill is set to take effect on September 1, 2025, following its passage in both the House and Senate.

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)