TWT H.B. 920 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS


TRANSPORTATION
H.B. 920
By: Jones, Delwin
3-6-97
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND 

Presently, trucks haul modules of cotton to the cotton gin and return to
the farm with empty trucks. Cotton burrs are collected from the gin by
truck (not the same as the cotton module) with a 20-foot bed and no
specialized attachments and then returned to the farm.  A cotton burr
spreader attachment will haul twice as much and spread it in one and
one-half minutes as opposed to 10 minutes with the current process. The
attachment makes the pick-up and spreading of cotton burrs more efficient
and cost-effective.  

PURPOSE

H.B. 920 allows a burr spreader on a highway or road and increases the
maximum width of a truck allowed on a highway or road from nine feet to 10
feet. H.B. 920 allows cotton burrs to be loaded in the truck at the gin
and be returned to the farm where it is spread on the ground to conserve
water and add humus to the soil. 
  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any
additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency or
institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 502.277(a), Transportation Code, by clarifying
that cotton burrs can be transported by single motor vehicle which is not
more than 10 feet wide. 

SECTION 2.   Amends Section 622.101, Transportation Code, to include the
operation of a burr spreader attachment on a highway or road and
accommodates for this attachment by increasing the maximum width of a
single motor vehicle used to transport cotton burrs and seed cotton
modules from nine feet to 10 feet. 

SECTION 3.   Emergency clause.  Effective upon passage.


COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

Substitute adds new Section 1. Renumbers remaining sections accordingly.