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HB 1376

Relating to the authority of the public safety director of the Department of Public Safety to adopt rules requiring the use and installation of intrastate commercial motor vehicle electronic logging devices.

89th Legislature (2025) Introduced by Briscoe Cain and 16 co-sponsors

Texas grants the Department of Public Safety authority to mandate electronic logging devices on all intrastate commercial motor vehicles to enhance safety and driver hour compliance.

Referred to Transportation
#electronicinformationsystems(i0311) #publicsafety #departmentof(v0251) #vehicles&traffic--equipment(i0855)
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Bill Summary · HB 1376

Legislative bill overview

HB 1376 grants Texas's Department of Public Safety director authority to establish rules requiring commercial motor vehicles operating within Texas to install and use electronic logging devices (ELDs) to track driving hours and compliance with safety regulations. This represents a state-level regulatory expansion beyond existing federal ELD requirements, which currently apply only to certain interstate carriers.

Why is this important

Electronic logging devices replaced paper logbooks and help enforce hours-of-service regulations that prevent driver fatigue-related accidents. Expanding ELD requirements to all intrastate commercial vehicles could improve road safety across Texas but would impose compliance costs on smaller trucking companies and owner-operators who may currently operate under federal exemptions or waivers.

Potential points of contention

  • Regulatory burden on small operators: Owner-operators and small trucking firms operating only intrastate may face significant costs for ELD installation and subscription services, potentially affecting their competitiveness against larger carriers already equipped with these systems
  • Duplication with federal standards: The bill creates state-level oversight parallel to federal DOT regulations, raising questions about redundancy and whether state-specific rules could conflict with or complicate federal compliance
  • Implementation details unspecified: The bill delegates substantial rulemaking authority to the DPS director without legislative guidance on timelines, exemptions, cost-sharing, or transition periods, leaving critical implementation questions unanswered

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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