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. 1-30 * * * * *