LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              March 20, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Clyde Alexander, Chair, House Committee on
               Transportation
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  SB220  by Shapiro (Relating to the regulation and
               enforcement of weight limitations and safety standards
               for certain motor vehicles; providing penalties.), As
               Engrossed
  
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*  No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.        *
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The bill would amend the Transportation Code to clarify weight tolerances
for specific vehicles and would restrict vehicles operating under a
special tolerance permit from operating on a bridge for which maximum
weight and load limits have been established by the Texas Transportation
Commission or a county commissioners court, if the gross weight of the
vehicle and load or the axles and wheel loads are greater than the
established and posted limits.  The bill also allows for this restriction
not to apply if the bridge is along the only public highway or road that
the permitted vehicle can use to travel from its point of origin to its
destination.

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) estimates that
implementing the provisions of the bill would result in a $10.9 million
cost savings each year from off-system and on-system bridge repairs that
would not be needed.  TxDOT estimates savings in the amounts of $3
million for on-system bridges, $6.1 million for off-system bridges, and
$1.8 million for preliminary and construction engineering costs each
year.  It is assumed that the savings realized from bridge repair costs
not being incurred would be used for other eligible transportation
related expenditures.  TxDOT also estimates no special tolerance permit
revenue gain or loss to State Highway Fund No. 006 would be realized due
to the implementation of the bill.

The bill would take effect September 1, 2001.
  
Local Government Impact
  
Units of local government would experience a significant cost savings in
repairs to bridges. Savings would be proportional per bridge to the
savings per bridge for the state.  It is estimated that the bill would
not effect revenues generated for counties related to the sale of
special tolerance permits.  The bill would also allow counties to retain
fines in amounts up to 110 percent of actual expenses incurred in the
preceding fiscal year for enforcing the provisions of the bill, or up to
110 percent of the amount the Comptroller estimates would be incurred
for enforcing the provisions of the bill where counties have no actual
expenses.
  
  
Source Agencies:   405   Texas Department of Public Safety
LBB Staff:         JK, JO, RB, MW