1-1     By:  Bosse (Senate Sponsor - Cain)                    H.B. No. 1679
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House April 2, 2001;
 1-3     April 3, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on State
 1-4     Affairs; April 24, 2001, reported favorably by the following vote:
 1-5     Yeas 6, Nays 0; April 24, 2001, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to the operation of certain vehicle combinations that
 1-9     exceed maximum weight limitations.
1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11           SECTION 1.  Subchapter Z, Chapter 622, Transportation Code,
1-12     is amended by adding Section 622.954 to read as follows:
1-13           Sec. 622.954.  TOW TRUCKS.  (a)  A permit is not required to
1-14     exceed the weight limitations of Section 621.101 by a combination
1-15     of a tow truck and another vehicle or vehicle combination if:
1-16                 (1)  the nature of the service provided by the tow
1-17     truck is needed to remove disabled, abandoned, or accident-damaged
1-18     vehicles; and
1-19                 (2)  the tow truck is towing the other vehicle or
1-20     vehicle combination directly to the nearest authorized place of
1-21     repair, terminal, or vehicle storage facility.
1-22           (b)  This section does not authorize the operation on the
1-23     national system of interstate and defense highways in this state of
1-24     vehicles with a weight greater than authorized by federal law.
1-25           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
1-26     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
1-27     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
1-28     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
1-29     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
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