By Zaffirini                                          S.B. No. 1809
         77R9638 JD-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the issuance of permits for the operation of oversize
 1-3     and overweight vehicles on certain highways by the City of Laredo;
 1-4     providing a penalty.
 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-6           SECTION 1. Chapter 623, Transportation Code, is amended by
 1-7     adding Subchapter L to read as follows:
 1-8                    SUBCHAPTER L.  CITY OF LAREDO PERMITS
 1-9           Sec. 623.251.  PERMITS BY CITY OF LAREDO. (a)  The department
1-10     may authorize the City of Laredo to issue permits for the movement
1-11     of oversize or overweight vehicles carrying cargo on Farm-to-Market
1-12     Road 1472 and the Bob Bullock Loop (Loop 20) from Columbia
1-13     Solidarity Bridge and the World Trade Bridge to Interstate Highway
1-14     35.
1-15           (b)  The department may not authorize the issuance of a
1-16     permit for the movement of equipment and commodities with a gross
1-17     weight of more than 125,000 pounds.
1-18           Sec. 623.252.  MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS. If the City of Laredo
1-19     issues permits under this subchapter, permit fees collected under
1-20     this subchapter may be used only to fund the maintenance of the
1-21     state highways subject to this subchapter.
1-22           Sec. 623.253.  PERMIT FEES. (a)  The amount of the fee for a
1-23     permit issued under this subchapter is the fee otherwise required
1-24     for a permit issued by the department under this chapter for the
 2-1     oversize or overweight vehicle.  The City of Laredo may not collect
 2-2     an extra fee for issuing a permit under this subchapter.
 2-3           (b)  Fees collected under Subsection (a)  shall be sent to
 2-4     the department for deposit to the credit of the state highway fund.
 2-5           Sec. 623.254.  PERMIT REQUIREMENTS. (a)  A permit issued
 2-6     under this subchapter must include:
 2-7                 (1)  the name of the applicant;
 2-8                 (2)  the date of issuance;
 2-9                 (3)  the signature of the officer or employee of the
2-10     City of Laredo authorized to approve the issuance of the permit;
2-11                 (4)  a statement of the kind of cargo being transported
2-12     over the roadway designated in the permit, the maximum weight and
2-13     dimensions of the equipment, and the kind and weight of each
2-14     commodity to be transported;
2-15                 (5)  a statement of any condition on which the permit
2-16     is issued;
2-17                 (6)  a statement that the cargo shall be transported
2-18     over the most direct route from the Columbia Solidarity Bridge or
2-19     the World Trade Bridge and Interstate Highway 35;
2-20                 (7)  the name of the driver of the vehicle in which the
2-21     cargo is to be transported; and
2-22                 (8)  the location where the cargo was loaded.
2-23           (b)  The City of Laredo shall report to the department all
2-24     permits issued under this subchapter.
2-25           Sec. 623.255.  TIME OF MOVEMENT. A permit issued under this
2-26     subchapter shall specify the time in which movement authorized by
2-27     the permit is allowed.
 3-1           Sec. 623.256.  SPEED LIMIT. Movement authorized by a permit
 3-2     issued under this subchapter may not exceed the lesser of the
 3-3     posted speed limit or 55 miles per hour.  An offense under this
 3-4     subsection is a Class C misdemeanor and a moving violation.
 3-5           Sec. 623.257.  ENFORCEMENT. The Department of Public Safety
 3-6     may enforce this subchapter.
 3-7           Sec. 623.258.  EXPIRATION. This subchapter expires March 1,
 3-8     2005.
 3-9           SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.