AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Current law provides a methodology for the issuing of overweight permits as established by Section 623.210 (Optional Procedure), Transportation Code. However, it has not been defined in statute. 

 

C.S.S.B. 1424 defines an overweight corridor and directs Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to set requirements for the feasibility of overweight corridors within a statewide plan to develop recommendations for additional corridors. This section also proposes to include all recommendations to Section 201.6011 of the International Trade Corridor Plan and to create a pavement management plan. Furthermore, the bill directs TxDOT to establish a performance metric for overweight corridors. Entities that issue overweight corridor permits shall report information necessary for the performance measure provided by TxDOT and set fees based on the pavement management plan. TxDOT is authorized to issue overweight corridor permits on behalf of an entity. The bill requires revenue generated to be deposited to the credit of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. 

 

C.S.S.B. 1424 amends current law relating to the administration and oversight of overweight corridors and authorizes a fee.

 

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 Subchapter A, Chapter 623, Transportation Code, by adding Section 623.004, as follows:

 

Sec. 623.004.  ADMINISTRATION AND OVERSIGHT OF OVERWEIGHT CORRIDORS.  (a) Defines "overweight corridor."

 

(b)  Requires the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), after receiving input from local officials, to:

 

(1)  set minimum requirements for determining the feasibility, viability, and economic impact of additional overweight corridors that take into consideration traffic volume, safety concerns, ability to recover costs, and the role of overweight corridors within a statewide plan for freight mobility;

 

(2)  use the requirements set under Subdivision (1) to periodically develop recommendations for additional overweight corridors that would benefit the state;

 

(3)  include any recommendations developed under Subdivision (2) in the plan described by Section 201.6011 (International Trade Corridor Plan); and

(4)  create a pavement management plan for each operational overweight corridor.

 

(c)  Requires TxDOT, in consultation with interested parties, to:

 

(1)  establish performance measures for each operational overweight corridor; and

 

(2)  include in the plan described by Section 201.6011 the results of an evaluation using the performance measures disaggregated by the overweight corridor.

 

(d)  Requires an entity issuing overweight corridor permits under this chapter to:

 

(1)  report information necessary for an evaluation using performance measures established under Subsection (c) to TxDOT; and

 

(2)  in setting a fee for the permit, consider the pavement management plan created under Subsection (b)(4) for the overweight corridor.

 

(e)  Authorizes the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) to:

 

(1)  issue overweight corridor permits on behalf of an entity authorized to issue the permits under this chapter; and

 

(2)  establish and charge a fee for issuing a permit under Subdivision (1) in an amount sufficient to recover the actual cost of issuance.

 

(f)  Requires a fee collected under Subsection (e)(2) to be sent to the comptroller of public accounts of the State of Texas (comptroller) for deposit to the credit of the TxDMV fund and authorizes it to be appropriated only to TxDMV for the administration of this section.

 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 2015.