Bill allowing golf carts on beach awaits approval

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND - Disabled beachgoers may soon be able to use golf carts to visit the Texas shoreline.

State Rep. Tara Rios Ybarra, D-South Padre Island, is awaiting the governor's signature on a bill - her first legislation - that will allow the Texas General Land Office to set rules for the use of golf carts on the state's beaches, but still allows for local control.

Ybarra said Monday that current law is unclear about the legality of using golf carts, which are classified as motor vehicles, on beaches that are otherwise closed to motor vehicles.

Under existing law, "local governments may choose to limit or prohibit motor vehicle traffic on beaches ... with no exceptions for persons with disabilities," she stated in a news release.

Her bill, HR 1213, gives the GLO authority to write rules for golf cart use on beaches, and will make provisions for local governments to set rules, she said.

Local governments can, she said, set use restrictions in much the same way as Island officials have regulated rentals of beach lounge chairs and umbrellas.

Ybarra said some disabled people have complained about their limited beach access, "so this addresses the issue."

"Apparently some models (of golf carts) have special tires" that allow them to operate without getting stuck in soft sand, she said. In addition, the models are lightweight and do not damage the environment, she said.

"Environmental groups are fine with it," she said about the law.