By:  Lucio                                            S.B. No. 1465
       73R8583 MJW-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the loading of certain vehicles carrying unprocessed
    1-3  grain on public highways.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Section 5, Chapter 42, General Laws, Acts of the
    1-6  41st Legislature, 2nd Called Session, 1929 (Article 6701d-11,
    1-7  Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended by amending Subsection
    1-8  (b), as amended by Section 2, Chapter 488, and Section 5, Chapter
    1-9  1052, Acts of the 71st Legislature, Regular Session, 1989, and by
   1-10  adding Subsections (d) and (e) to read as follows:
   1-11        (b)  No person, firm, corporation, company, co-partnership,
   1-12  or association shall load, or cause to be loaded, a vehicle for
   1-13  operation on the public highways of this state which exceeds the
   1-14  weight limitations for operation of that vehicle.  Intent to
   1-15  violate those limitations is presumed if the loaded vehicle exceeds
   1-16  the applicable weight limitation for operation of that vehicle.
   1-17  Except as provided by Subsection (d) of this section, this <This>
   1-18  subsection does not apply to the loading or causing to be loaded of
   1-19  an agricultural or a forestry commodity prior to such point in the
   1-20  processing of the commodity which changes the natural state of the
   1-21  commodity.
   1-22        (d)  The exemption provided by Subsection (b) of this section
   1-23  for loading or causing to be loaded unprocessed agricultural and
   1-24  forestry commodities does not apply to the loading or causing to be
    2-1  loaded of unprocessed grain in a county adjacent to the Republic of
    2-2  Mexico.
    2-3        (e)  In this section, "grain" has the meaning assigned by
    2-4  Section 14.001, Agriculture Code.
    2-5        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-6  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-7  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-8  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-9  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   2-10  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   2-11  passage, and it is so enacted.