BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 995

By: Nichols

Transportation

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Under Texas law, a person may operate an overweight vehicle to cross roads or highways under the Texas Department of Transportation's (TxDOT) jurisdiction to get from one private road to another. This is done through contracts to indemnify TxDOT for the cost of maintenance and repair of the part of the highway crossed by the vehicle and obtaining a surety bond in an amount determined by TxDOT to compensate for the maintenance and repairs to the affected roads or highways. Currently, the comptroller of public accounts and the attorney general must approve the surety bond. S.B. 995 replaces the comptroller and attorney general with TxDOT as the entity that must approve a surety bond with respect to a contract authorizing an oversize or overweight vehicle to cross a road or highway.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 995 amends the Transportation Code to replace the comptroller of public accounts and the attorney general with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) as the entity that must approve the requisite surety bond with respect to a contract with the Texas Transportation Commission authorizing an oversize or overweight vehicle or an overweight vehicle with commodities or products to cross a road or highway.

S.B. 995 applies only to the approval of a surety bond on or after the bill's effective date.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2025.