BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center                                                                                                        S.B. 950

79R8250 JTS-D                                                                                                                   By: Estes

Transportation and Homeland Security

3/21/2005

As Filed

AUTHOR'S/SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

The Texas Department of Transportation issues over axle/over gross weight tolerance permits to commercial motor vehicles.  This allows trucks to exceed their gross axle weight by up to five percent.  This permit authorizes the overweight vehicles to travel on county roads as well as on state-maintained roadways.

Few county roads can tolerate the load of the overweight trucks without incurring heavy damage.  The counties' costs associated with repairing the damage far exceeds the income from the fees.

As proposed, S.B. 950 increases the portion of the permit fee that goes to the counties in order to help offset road repair and maintenance costs related to the extra burden placed on the roads by the trucks with overweight permits.

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 623.0111(a), Transportation Code, to increase the schedule of fees paid by a person who applies for a permit under Section 623.011 (Permits for Oversize or Overweight Vehicles: Definition), at the time of filing the application.

SECTION 2.  Makes the application of this Act prospective.

SECTION 3.  Effective date:  September 1, 2005.