SRC-LBB S.B. 1649 78(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 1649
78R6633 JTS-DBy: Janek
Infrastructure Development and Security
4/29/2003
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Under present law, truck payloads carrying product to port are limited to
47,000 pounds, which short fills the shipping container used for transport
by about 20 percent per trip.  By maximizing the container load, the
number of truck hauls needed would be reduced  by approximately 7,000
trips per year per facility.  As proposed, S.B. 1649 authorizes the Texas
Department of Transportation to issue a permit for ocean cargo containers
to increase the payload weight. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to
a state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Chapter 623, Transportation Code, by adding Subchapter
L, as follows: 

SUBCHAPTER L.  OCEAN CARGO SHIPPING CONTAINERS

 Sec.  623.231.  DEFINITION.  Defines "ocean cargo shipping container."

Sec.  623.232.  PERMIT.  Authorizes the Texas Department of Transportation
to issue an annual permit  for the movement of ocean cargo shipping
containers under certain conditions. 

Sec.  623.233.  PERMIT FEE.  Provides that the amount of the fee for an
annual permit issued under Section 623.232 is equal to the amount of a fee
imposed in connection with a permit issued under Subchapter B. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date:  September 1, 2003.