By Truan                                        S.C.R. No. 24

      75R1646 EFD-D                           

                                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 and greater lengths than those allowed under

1-10     current Texas law; and

1-11           WHEREAS, Texas' existing highway and bridge infrastructure is

1-12     insufficient to handle heavier and longer trucks, and an increase

1-13     in the number of overweight trucks travelling in Texas would cause

1-14     a rapid escalation of damage to roads, rail crossings, and bridges,

1-15     creating an increased safety risk for all Texas motorists; and

1-16           WHEREAS, The federal government and the NAFTA Land

1-17     Transportation Subcommittee are considering whether to authorize an

1-18     increase in the weight and length of motor carriers in the United

1-19     States under the transportation harmonization provisions of NAFTA;

1-20     and

1-21           WHEREAS, Federal and state funding is insufficient to provide

1-22     for the construction and higher level of maintenance needed for

1-23     roadways to safely handle heavier and longer trucks; now,

1-24     therefore, be it

 2-1           RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas

 2-2     hereby direct the Texas Department of Transportation to monitor

 2-3     national-level discussions addressing truck weight and length

 2-4     standards adopted pursuant to NAFTA; and, be it further

 2-5           RESOLVED, That the Texas Department of Transportation should

 2-6     resist current efforts to influence the NAFTA Land Transportation

 2-7     Subcommittee to permit overweight trucks and multiple trailers on

 2-8     U.S. highways, and that Texas' current standards should be honored

 2-9     and continued in order to protect the safety of our state's

2-10     citizens and the integrity of the public investment in highway and

2-11     bridge infrastructure; and, be it further

2-12           RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official

2-13     copy of this resolution to the executive director of the Texas

2-14     Department of Transportation.