SRC-JEC S.C.R. 10 77(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.C.R. 10
77R2961 NBH-DBy: Shapleigh
Business & Commerce
2/12/2001
As Filed


DIGEST

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has boosted the economy in
Texas and in the entire United States.  However, the increase in heavy
truck traffic has caused roadways and bridges within the border commercial
zone to deteriorate.  Most of the roadways are maintained by counties and
municipalities, and were built to accommodate a fraction of the weight of
today's trucks.  Local governments within the border zone are burdened with
the costs of weighing trucks and repairing road damage.  The state is in
the process of upgrading bridges in the area, but the scope of damage and
the number of bridges means that, at current funding levels and practices,
it could take decades to complete the undertaking.  Overweight trucks also
pose safety hazards for other motorists.  A considerable increase in heavy
truck traffic is expected in the coming decades.  County and city
governments within the commercial border zone would benefit from having
additional weigh stations situated in their jurisdictions and additional
law enforcement officers to conduct weight inspections of commercial
vehicles traveling on roads that they maintain. 

PURPOSE 

As proposed, S.C.R. 10 submits the following resolutions:

Urges the United States Congress to create a federal category under the
NAFTA agreement, for NAFTA traffic-related infrastructure damage, to
provide counties and municipalities with funding for commercial vehicle
weigh stations within the 20-mile commercial border zone; and 

Requires the Texas secretary of state to forward official copies of this
resolution to the president of the United States, the speaker of the house
of representatives and the president of the senate of the United States
Congress, and to all members of the Texas delegation to the congress with
the request that this resolution be officially entered in the Congressional
Record as a memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.