SRC-LBB C.S.S.B. 1763 78(R)BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research CenterC.S.S.B. 1763 By: Ogden Infrastructure Development and Security 5/9/2003 Committee Report (Substituted) DIGEST AND PURPOSE Under current law, overweight trucks must use an alternate route, if one exists, rather than crossing a bridge with a lower weight limit. C.S.S.B. 1763 requires the holder of a permit for oversize or overweight vehicles to provide 2 hours prior notice to a county if the permit holder plans to travel over a road or bridge with a lower weight limit that provides the only public vehicular access. The bill provides additional exceptions to statutory provisions governing the use of bridges and county roads by overweight vehicles. 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 Section 623.0113, Transportation Code, as follows: Section 623.0113. ROUTE PROVISIONS. (a) Includes a county road, as well as a bridge, regarding maximum weight and load limits of vehicles. Provides an exception. (b) Provides that the restrictions under Subsection (a)(2) do not apply if a bridge or county road described by Subsection (a)(2) provides the only public vehicular access from an origin or to a destination by a holder of a permit issued under Section 623.011 and the holder provides at least 2 hours prior notice of the needed access to the office of the county sheriff by telephone or other means of communication. (c) Provides that the restrictions under Subsection (a)(2) do not apply if a county road described by Subsection (a) (2) provides the only reasonable public vehicular access from an origin or to a destination. Requires public access to be less than 33 percent longer than the most direct access from an origin or to a destination. (d) Provides that the provisions of Subsections (a) and (c), relating to the restrictions on the use of a county road, apply only after the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has added the county road to certain databases and made this information available through TxDOT's Internet website. (e) Provides that any weight restriction for a county road, established prior to September 1, 2001, is subject to the provisions of Section 621.301(a) of the Transportation Code. SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2003.