AN ACT
1-1 relating to the enforcement of weight limits for vehicles in a
1-2 port-of-entry between Texas and Mexico.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Subsection (a), Section 621.101, Transportation
1-5 Code, is amended to read as follows:
1-6 (a) A vehicle or combination of vehicles may not be operated
1-7 over or on a public highway outside the territory of a
1-8 municipality, [or] over or on a state-maintained public highway
1-9 inside the territory of a municipality, or at a port-of-entry
1-10 between Texas and the United Mexican States if the vehicle or
1-11 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 at a port-of-entry between
2-25 Texas and the United Mexican States.
2-26 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
3-1 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
3-2 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-3 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-4 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-5 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
_______________________________ _______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 749 passed the Senate on
April 8, 1999, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0.
_______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 749 passed the House on
May 19, 1999, by a non-record vote.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
Approved:
_______________________________
Date
_______________________________
Governor