This bill says a high-mounted third brake light still counts as meeting the federal lighting standard if it flickers or pulses in brightness four or fewer times when the driver brakes, as long as it never shuts off and the pulsing lasts no more than two seconds. It touches Texas drivers, vehicle owners, and the sellers and installers of pulsing brake-light equipment, plus officers and inspectors who check lighting. Starting September 1, 2025, a brief pulsing center brake light would no longer be treated as out of compliance under Texas law.
Labels
Labels: NO AUTOGRAPH. Became law without the governor's signature on Jun 20, 2025.BACK FROM THE DEAD. Same text as a bill filed before that died: 88R SB 772 (Died in committee). Filed in 2 sessions, counting this one. Checked against 88R only.TRY NO. 2. Filed in 2 sessions: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.QUICK READ: 104 WORDS. The bill as filed runs 104 words, counting the existing law it amends and the text it strikes. The median 89R bill as filed runs 441 words (derived, 8,702 graded bills, snapshot Oct 19, 2026).
relating to lighting equipment requirements for motor vehicles.
WHAT IT DOES
Four or fewer pulses, no more than two seconds.
This bill says a high-mounted third brake light still counts as meeting the federal lighting standard if it flickers or pulses in brightness four or fewer times when the driver brakes, as long as it never shuts off and the pulsing lasts no more than two seconds. It touches Texas drivers, vehicle owners, and the sellers and installers of pulsing brake-light equipment, plus officers and inspectors who check lighting. Starting September 1, 2025, a brief pulsing center brake light would no longer be treated as out of compliance under Texas law.
CHARGES
[ ] NONE FOUND
TOTAL
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The following bills which were considered on second reading on the previous legislative day on the local, consent, and resolutions calendar were laid before the house, read third time, and passed by the following record vote (members registering votes and the results of the vote are shown following the bill number). (Record 3115): 140 Yeas, 1 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.
Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.
Yea: 138 (published)
Nay: 3 (published)
Present, not voting: 2 (published)
Absent: 6 (derived from named list)
Excused: 1 (derived from named list)
House journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.
Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.
The journal row lists three votes in order: passage to engrossment, suspension of the three-day rule, and final passage. This entry records final passage. Repeated tallies belong to separate votes.
Sources
SB 1493 (Parker) Relating to lighting equipment requirements for motor vehicles. (viva voce vote) (30-0) (30-0)
Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.
Yea: 30 (published)
Nay: 0 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: Not printed
Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.
Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.
The journal row lists three votes in order: passage to engrossment, suspension of the three-day rule, and final passage. This entry records suspension of the three-day rule. Repeated tallies belong to separate votes.
Sources
SB 1493 (Parker) Relating to lighting equipment requirements for motor vehicles. (viva voce vote) (30-0) (30-0)
Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.
Yea: 30 (published)
Nay: 0 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: Not printed
Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.
Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.
The journal row lists three votes in order: passage to engrossment, suspension of the three-day rule, and final passage. This entry records passage to engrossment. Repeated tallies belong to separate votes.
Voice vote. No numeric tally or individual yeas are inferred.
Sources
SB 1493 (Parker) Relating to lighting equipment requirements for motor vehicles. (viva voce vote) (30-0) (30-0)
Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.
Yea: Not printed
Nay: Not printed
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: Not printed
Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.
Witnesses1
For
1
Against
0
On
0
Names
For
SBT Distributors LLC1 registration
Sources
1 parsed registrations across the loaded witness lists.
Derived stock of witness registrations. Repeated appearances count separately. Organizations and self-representation appear as printed.
89R184 DRS-F
By: Parker
S.B. No. 1493
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to lighting equipment requirements for motor vehicles.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 547.323, Transportation Code, is amended
by adding Subsection (g) to read as follows:
(g) For purposes of Section 547.3215, a high-mounted
stoplamp is considered to comply with the current federal standards
in 49 C.F.R. Section 571.108 if the stoplamp varies in intensity
four or fewer times but never deactivates when the vehicle brakes
for not more than two seconds.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.
Monitoring 