BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center

H.B. 2427

 

By: Canales (Hinojosa, Juan "Chuy")

 

Transportation

 

5/19/2025

 

Engrossed

 

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Transportation Code Section 623.363 establishes the roads on which the Texas Department of Transportation may authorize Hidalgo County Regional Mobility Authority to issue permits for the movement of oversize or overweight vehicles carrying cargo in Hidalgo County. These roads include Spur 29 between its intersection with U.S. Highway 281 and its intersections with Doffin Canal Road.

 

H.B. 2427 would amend the list of roads eligible for oversize or overweight vehicle permits to include Spur 29 between its intersection with U.S. Highway 281 and its intersection with West Doffing Road, rather than Doffin Canal Road. The bill also would add West Doffing Road between its intersection with Spur 29 and its eastern intersection with Doffin Canal Road to the list of eligible roads. The bill also would add State Highway 365 between Farm-to-Market Road 396 and West Military Highway at San Juan Road.

 

By adding additional route designations for the movement of oversized vehicles in Hidalgo County, H.B. 2427 would reduce congestion and ensure that infrastructure planning kept pace with the increased volume of commercial transportation that is expected following the completed expansion of the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge.

 

H.B. 2427 amends current law relating to the issuance of permits for the movement of oversize and overweight vehicles in certain counties and authorizes a fee.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Transportation Commission in SECTION 2 (Section 623.460, Transportation Code) of this bill.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1. Amends Section 623.363(a), Transportation Code, as follows:

 

(a) Authorizes the Texas Transportation Commission (TTC) to authorize a regional mobility authority to issue permits for the movement of oversize or overweight vehicles carrying cargo in Hidalgo County on:

 

(1) certain roads, including Spur 29 between its intersection with U.S. Highway 281 and its intersection with West Doffing Road, rather than Doffin Canal Road, West Doffing Road between its intersection with Spur 29 and its eastern intersection with Doffin Canal Road, and State Highway 365 between its intersection with Farm-to-Market Road 396 and its intersection with West Military Highway at San Juan Road; or

 

(2) another route designated by TTC in consultation with the regional mobility authority (authority), including any designated off-system overweight corridor route the authority agrees to maintain or pay to maintain in a maintenance agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).

 

Makes nonsubstantive changes to this subsection.

 

SECTION 2. Amends Chapter 623, Transportation Code, by adding Subchapter W, as follows:

 

SUBCHAPTER W. STARR COUNTY PERMITS

 

Sec. 623.451. OPTIONAL PROCEDURE. Provides that this subchapter provides an optional procedure for the issuance of a permit by the City of Roma for the movement of oversize or overweight vehicles carrying cargo on certain roadways located in Starr County.

 

Sec. 623.452. ISSUANCE OF PERMITS. Authorizes TTC to authorize the City of Roma to issue permits for the movement of oversize or overweight vehicles carrying cargo in Starr County on certain roadways.

 

Sec. 623.453. SURETY BOND. Authorizes TTC to require the City of Roma to execute, at its own expense, a surety bond payable to TxDOT in an amount of not less than $500,000 for costs of maintenance for the roadways described by Section 623.452.

 

Sec. 623.454. PERMIT FEES. (a) Authorizes the City of Roma to collect a fee for permits issued under this subchapter. Prohibits the maximum amount of the fee, except as otherwise provided by this subsection, from exceeding $200 per trip. Authorizes the city, on September 1 of each year, to adjust the maximum fee amount as necessary to reflect the percentage change during the preceding year in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), U.S. City Average, published monthly by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics or its successor in function.

 

(b) Provides that fees collected under Subsection (a) are authorized to be used only for the operation and maintenance of the roadways described by or designated under Section 623.452 and for the City of Roma's administrative costs, which are prohibited from exceeding 15 percent of the fees collected.

 

(c) Requires that the distribution of the fees collected under Subsection (a) less the City of Roma's administrative costs be distributed between the state and the city based on lane mile calculations between on and off system roadways subject to this subchapter. Requires that lane mile calculations be adjusted on a biannual basis.

 

(d) Requires the City of Roma to send the state's portion of the fees collected under Subsection (a) to the Comptroller of Public Accounts of the State of Texas for deposit to the credit of the state highway fund. Provides that fees deposited in the state highway fund under this section are exempt from the application of Section 403.095 (Use of Dedicated Revenue), Government Code.

 

Sec. 623.455. PERMIT REQUIREMENTS. (a) Requires that a permit issued under this subchapter include certain information.

 

(b) Requires the City of Roma to report to TxDOT all permits issued under this subchapter.

 

Sec. 623.456. TIME OF MOVEMENT. Requires that a permit issued under this subchapter specify the time during which movement authorized by the permit is allowed.

 

Sec. 623.457. SPEED LIMIT. Prohibits movement authorized by a permit issued under this subchapter from exceeding the posted speed limit or 55 miles per hour, whichever is less. Provides that a violation of this provision constitutes a moving violation.

 

Sec. 623.458. ENFORCEMENT. Provides that the Department of Public Safety has authority to enforce this subchapter.

 

Sec. 623.459. PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN. Requires TxDOT to create a pavement management plan for the roadways described by Section 623.452.

 

Sec. 623.460. RULES. Authorizes TTC to adopt rules necessary to implement this subchapter.

 

Sec. 623.461. CONTINGENCY. Provides that this subchapter is contingent upon the termination of designation of U.S. Highway 83 in Starr County as part of the Federal Strategic Highway Network system or the authorization of overweight vehicles to operate on the Federal Strategic Highway Network system.

 

SECTION 3. Authorizes the City of Roma to adjust the maximum fee amount as provided by Section 623.454, Transportation Code, as added by this Act, beginning September 1, 2026.

 

SECTION 4. Effective date: September 1, 2025.