| TO: | Honorable Steve Ogden, Chair, Senate Committee on Infrastructure Development and Security |
| FROM: | John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | SB488 by Ogden (Relating to vehicle weight.), As Introduced |
The bill would amend the Transportation Code to prohibit a person from operating a vehicle or combination of vehicles on a road for which either the Texas Transportation Commission, or the commissioners court of a county, has established a maximum weight under the provisions of the bill if the weight of the vehicle or combination of vehicles exceeds the maximum weight established by the Texas Transportation Commission, or the commissioners court of a county. The bill would provide guidelines for defining the offense in accordance with the bill. The bill would also repeal a subsection of the Transportation Code allowing that prior to assessment of a penalty for weight exceeding the maximum allowable axle weights, the owner or operator may shift the load to reduce or eliminate such excess axle weight penalties as long as no part of the shipment is removed.
Based on the analysis of the Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the Department of Public Safety, it is assumed that duties and responsibilities associated with implementing the provisions of the bill could be accomplished using existing resources. Although TxDOT estimates the bill would save approximately $3.4 million in road maintenance costs each year, it is assumed that any savings realized would be used for other available transportation projects.
| Source Agencies: | 405 Department of Public Safety, 601 Department of Transportation
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| LBB Staff: | JK, RR, RT, MW, KG
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