By: Truan S.C.R. No. 24 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-1 WHEREAS, The United States and Mexico have always enjoyed a 1-2 brisk trade relationship, and the amount of trade between the two 1-3 countries is expected to reach unprecedented levels under the North 1-4 American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA); and 1-5 WHEREAS, Of the total overland trade that currently flows 1-6 between the United States and Mexico, 80 percent of the commodities 1-7 are transported through Texas, primarily on trucks; and 1-8 WHEREAS, Mexican standards for trucks authorize higher 1-9 maximum load limits than those allowed under current Texas law; and 1-10 WHEREAS, Texas' existing highway and bridge infrastructure is 1-11 insufficient to handle heavier and longer trucks, and an increase 1-12 in the number of overweight trucks travelling in Texas would cause 1-13 a rapid escalation of damage to roads, rail crossings, and bridges, 1-14 creating an increased safety risk for all Texas motorists; and 1-15 WHEREAS, The federal government and the NAFTA Land 1-16 Transportation Subcommittee are considering whether to authorize an 1-17 increase in the weight and length of motor carriers in the United 1-18 States under the transportation harmonization provisions of NAFTA; 1-19 and 1-20 WHEREAS, Federal and state funding is insufficient to provide 1-21 for the construction and higher level of maintenance needed for 1-22 roadways to safely handle heavier and longer trucks; now, 1-23 therefore, be it 1-24 RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas 2-1 hereby direct the Texas Department of Transportation to monitor 2-2 national-level discussions addressing truck weight and length 2-3 standards adopted pursuant to NAFTA; and, be it further 2-4 RESOLVED, That the Texas Department of Transportation should 2-5 support current Texas and U.S. standards for truck weights and 2-6 lengths before the NAFTA Land Transportation Subcommittee and 2-7 should support the position that Texas' current standards should be 2-8 honored and continued in order to protect the safety of our state's 2-9 citizens and the integrity of the public investment in highway and 2-10 bridge infrastructure; and, be it further 2-11 RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official 2-12 copy of this resolution to the executive director of the Texas 2-13 Department of Transportation.