HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
 1-1           WHEREAS, Mexican commercial trucks carry approximately 80
 1-2     percent of all overland trade commodities that are destined for the
 1-3     United States from Mexico through 23 ports of entry in Texas, and
 1-4     the trucks must satisfy a wide range of Texas' regulatory and
 1-5     licensing requirements at these border crossings before continuing
 1-6     to travel in Texas; and
 1-7           WHEREAS, Because the laws of Texas and Mexico generally set
 1-8     different standards relating to the regulatory and licensing
 1-9     requirements for motor carrier operations, as evidenced by Mexico's
1-10     higher maximum load limits for its trucks, the North American Free
1-11     Trade Agreement (NAFTA) established the Land Transportation
1-12     Standards Subcommittee to develop certain international trading
1-13     standards that would facilitate the flow of overland trade; and
1-14           WHEREAS, The amount of regulatory and licensing inspections
1-15     by Texas state agencies is expected to increase as NAFTA expands;
1-16     such enforcement activities can include size and weight inspections
1-17     by the Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas, issuance
1-18     and review of vehicle registration and insurance by the Texas
1-19     Department of Transportation and the Texas Department of Insurance,
1-20     issuance of fuel permits and assessment of state taxes by the Texas
1-21     comptroller of public accounts, and inspection of hazardous waste
1-22     shipments by the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission;
1-23     and
1-24           WHEREAS, In response to the significant increase in trade
 2-1     activity along Texas highways since the implementation of NAFTA,
 2-2     the Texas Legislature has increased the funding for the Department
 2-3     of Public Safety's motor carrier safety enforcement activities and
 2-4     for new weigh stations along major Texas truck routes; and
 2-5           WHEREAS, The new federal transportation spending bill, the
 2-6     Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), has
 2-7     authorized $140 million annually until the year 2003 to fund two
 2-8     programs to improve the safe movement of people and goods at or
 2-9     across the border between the United States and Mexico; and
2-10           WHEREAS, Texas is the major conduit for trade with Mexico and
2-11     increased commercial truck traffic is expected; Texas easily meets
2-12     the eligibility requirements of TEA-21's National Corridor Planning
2-13     and Development Program and the Coordinated Border Infrastructure
2-14     Program; now, therefore, be it
2-15           RESOLVED, That the 76th Legislature of the State of Texas
2-16     hereby urge the United States Department of Transportation to fund
2-17     "one-stop" truck inspection facilities at Texas-Mexico border sites
2-18     under the National Corridor Planning and Development Program and
2-19     the Coordinated Border Infrastructure Program to more efficiently
2-20     process commercial vehicles entering from Mexico; and, be it
2-21     further
2-22           RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official
2-23     copy of this resolution to the secretary of the United States
2-24     Department of Transportation.
                                                                    Oliveira
                                                                     Cuellar
         _______________________________     _______________________________
             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House
               I certify that H.C.R. No. 19 was adopted by the House on
         April 8, 1999, by a non-record vote.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Chief Clerk of the House
               I certify that H.C.R. No. 19 was adopted by the Senate on May
         20, 1999, by a viva-voce vote.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Secretary of the Senate
         APPROVED:  _____________________
                            Date
                    _____________________
                          Governor