By Pickett, Cuellar, Solis of Cameron                 H.B. No. 2005
         76R6750 WP-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the maximum weight of load for vehicles and the powers
 1-3     of weight enforcement officers.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 621.101(a), Transportation Code, is
 1-6     amended to read as follows:
 1-7           (a)  A vehicle or combination of vehicles may not be operated
 1-8     over or on a public highway outside the territory of a municipality
 1-9     or over or on a state-maintained public highway inside the
1-10     territory of a municipality or in a port of entry with Mexico and
1-11     this state if the vehicle or combination has:
1-12                 (1)  an axle that carries a load heavier than:
1-13                       (A)  16,000 pounds on high-pressure tires; or
1-14                       (B)  20,000 pounds on low-pressure tires,
1-15     including all enforcement tolerances;
1-16                 (2)  a tandem axle weight heavier than 34,000 pounds,
1-17     including all enforcement tolerances;
1-18                 (3)  an overall gross weight on a group of two or more
1-19     consecutive axles heavier than the weight computed using the
1-20     following formula and rounding the result to the nearest 500
1-21     pounds:
1-22           W = 500((LN/(N - 1)) + 12N + 36)
1-23           where:
1-24           "W" is maximum overall gross weight on the group;
 2-1           "L" is distance in feet between the axles of the group that
 2-2     are the farthest apart; and
 2-3           "N" is number of axles in the group;
 2-4                 (4)  a weight heavier than:
 2-5                       (A)  600 pounds for each inch of tire width
 2-6     concentrated on the surface of the highway on a wheel using
 2-7     high-pressure tires; or
 2-8                       (B)  650 pounds for each inch of tire width
 2-9     concentrated on the surface of the highway on a wheel using
2-10     low-pressure tires; or
2-11                 (5)  a wheel that carries a load heavier than:
2-12                       (A)  8,000 pounds on high-pressure tires; or
2-13                       (B)  10,000 pounds on low-pressure tires.
2-14           SECTION 2.  Section 621.408, Transportation Code, is amended
2-15     to read as follows:
2-16           Sec. 621.408.  POWERS OF WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.  Except
2-17     for the authority granted to a port-of-entry supervisor or
2-18     inspector by Section 621.409, weight enforcement officers have
2-19     exclusive authority:
2-20                 (1)  to enforce this subchapter in any area of this
2-21     state other than in the territory of a municipality with a
2-22     population of more than 100,000; and
2-23                 (2)  to enforce all weight limitations for a vehicle on
2-24     a state-maintained public highway or in a port of entry with Mexico
2-25     and this state.
2-26           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-27           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
 3-1     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 3-2     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 3-3     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 3-4     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.