H.B. No. 3793 amends the Transportation Code to modify the procedures for a commissioners court to close, abandon, or vacate certain county roads. The bill introduces new provisions that specify the conditions under which a commissioners court is not required to follow the standard procedure for conveying a closed road to abutting property owners. Specifically, if the road in question is located outside the corporate limits of a municipality in a border county with a population under 300,000, and abuts single-family residential lots in a planned subdivision within a municipality, the court can bypass the usual conveyance process if it determines that doing so would create a public nuisance or safety hazard.

Under the new provisions, if the commissioners court makes such a finding, it has the option to either petition the municipality to annex the road or repurpose it for public uses unrelated to motorized traffic, such as hiking or biking trails. The bill also clarifies that the title to a closed road vests in the abutting property owner upon the signing of the order by the county judge, and outlines the necessary documentation and indexing requirements for the conveyance. This act is set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Transportation Code 251.058 (Transportation Code 251)
House Committee Report: Transportation Code 251.058 (Transportation Code 251)
Engrossed: Transportation Code 251.058 (Transportation Code 251)
Senate Committee Report: Transportation Code 251.058 (Transportation Code 251)