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House Bill 474 |
House Author: Munoz, Jr. et al. |
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Effective: 9-1-13 |
Senate Sponsor: Hinojosa |
House Bill 474 amends the Transportation Code to provide an optional procedure by which a regional mobility authority authorized by the Texas Transportation Commission can issue a permit for the movement of oversize or overweight vehicles carrying cargo on certain roads located in Hidalgo County. Beginning September 1, 2013, the fee for such a permit may not exceed $80, but subsequently may be annually adjusted by the authority to reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. The collected fees are required to be used only for the construction and maintenance of the specified roads and for the authority's administrative costs, which may not exceed 15 percent of the collected fees. The bill requires the authority to make payments to the Texas Department of Transportation to fund the maintenance of the roads and highways for which the permits are issued. The bill specifies items the permit is required to include and requires the authority to report to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles all permits issued for these purposes. The bill prohibits movement authorized by the permit from exceeding the posted speed limit or 55 miles per hour, whichever is less, and makes a violation of this prohibition a moving violation. The bill authorizes the Department of Public Safety to enforce the bill's provisions and authorizes the commission to adopt rules necessary to implement those provisions.