TEXAS HOUSE GIVES INITIAL APPROVAL FOR ‘RIDE-HAILING’ BILL

  

Texas lawmakers moved towards creating statewide regulations for ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft on Wednesday.  

The Texas House approved a bill in a 110-37 vote which would place transportation network companies under state control and would prohibit cities from enacting their own regulations.

Chris Paddle, a Republican from Marshall, authored the bill. It would require the companies to pay state fees. It would also require companies to perform local, state and national criminal background checks on drivers each year- but not fingerprint them.

Paddle said the bill wasn't just about a single company or city, though notably Uber left Austin last May, after local voters endorsed an ordinance requiring drivers to be fingerprinted as part of background checks.

Currently, 41 other states have adopted similar ride-hailing laws.