BILL ANALYSIS
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AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Interested parties note that for certain communities along the Texas-Mexico border with an international bridge, a large driver of the economy is the commercial traffic crossing the bridge. The parties note, however, that because of differing truck weight regulations between Texas and Mexico some trucks stop before crossing into Texas and redistribute their loads so as to comply with state regulations. The parties contend that this procedure represents another obstacle to an already laborious and time-consuming process and that the extra time spent shifting loads and weights results in lost revenue and hurts the economy in Texas and across the nation. One recent solution to this obstacle has been the designation of certain overweight vehicle corridors on Texas roadways that allow for more efficient truck transport. H.B. 1969 seeks to provide for additional corridors in order to promote commerce.
H.B. 1969 amends the Transportation Code to include among the roads for which the Texas Transportation Commission may authorize the issuance of permits by a regional mobility authority for the movement of oversize or overweight vehicles carrying cargo in Hidalgo County: Farm-to-Market Road 1015 between its intersection with U.S. Highway 281 and its intersection with U.S. Highway 83 Business; U.S. Highway 83 Business between its intersection with Farm-to-Market Road 1015 and its intersection with South Pleasantview Drive; Farm-to-Market Road 1015 between its intersection with U.S. Highway 83 Business and its intersection with Mile 9 Road North; and Mile 9 Road North between its intersection with Farm-to-Market Road 1015 and its intersection with Joe Stephens Avenue. (Original Author's / Sponsor's Statement of Intent)
C.S.H.B. 1969 amends current law relating to the issuance of certain permits for the movement of oversize or overweight vehicles on certain highways.
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 623.322(a), Transportation Code, as added by Chapter 635 (H.B. 474), Acts of the 83rd Legislature, Regular Session, 2013, to provide that the Texas Transportation Commission may authorize a regional mobility authority to issue permits for the movement of oversize or overweight vehicles carrying cargo in Hidalgo County on certain roads, including Farm-to-Market Road 1015 between its intersection with U.S. Highway 281 and its intersection with U.S. Highway 83 Business, U.S. Highway 83 Business between its intersection with Farm-to-Market Road 1015 and its intersection with South Pleasantview Drive, Farm-to-Market Road 1015 between its intersection with U.S. Highway 83 Business and its intersection with Mile 9 Road North, and Mile 9 Road North between its intersection with Farm-to-Market Road 1015 and its intersection with Joe Stephens Avenue.
SECTION 2. (a) Provides that this section takes effect only if the Act of the 84th Legislature, Regular Session, 2015, relating to nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in enacted codes becomes law.
(b) Amends Subchapter S, Chapter 623, Transportation Code, by adding Section 623.370, as follows:
Sec. 623.370. BOND. (a) Requires the authority to file with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) a bond in an amount set by TxDOT under Subsection (b), payable to TxDOT, and conditioned that the authority will pay to TxDOT the amount by which the annual cost to repair any damage to roads and highways subject to this subchapter from the movement of oversize and overweight vehicles for which permits are issued under this subchapter exceeds the annual amount paid to TxDOT under Section 623.364(b).
(b) Requires TxDOT to set the amount of the bond required under Subsection (a) in an amount equal to the estimated annual cost to repair any damage to roads and highways subject to this subchapter from the movement of oversize and overweight vehicles for which permits are issued under this subchapter.
SECTION 3. (a) Provides that this section takes effect only if the Act of the 84th Legislature, Regular Session, 2015, relating to nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in enacted codes does not become law.
(b) Amends Subchapter Q, Chapter 623, Transportation Code, as added by Chapter 623 (H.B. 474), Acts of the 83rd Legislature, Regular Session, 2013, by adding Section 623.329, as follows:
Sec. 623.329. BOND. (a) Requires the authority to file with TxDOT a bond in an amount set by TxDOT under Subsection (b), payable to TxDOT, and conditioned that the authority will pay to TxDOT the amount by which the annual cost to repair any damage to roads and highways subject to this subchapter from the movement of oversize and overweight vehicles for which permits are issued under this subchapter exceeds the annual amount paid to TxDOT under Section 623.323(b) (requiring fees collected under Subsection (a) to be used only for the construction and maintenance of the roads described by or designated under Section 623.322 and for the authority's administrative costs, which may not exceed 15 percent of the fees collected).
(b) Requires TxDOT to set the amount of the bond required under Subsection (a) in an amount equal to the estimated annual cost to repair any damage to roads and highways subject to this subchapter from the movement of oversize and overweight vehicles for which permits are issued under this subchapter.
SECTION 4. Effective date: September 1, 2015.