BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	C.S.S.B. 2841
89R20489 GP-F	By: Hinojosa, Adam
	Transportation
	4/23/2025
	Committee Report (Substituted)

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

The Transportation Code, by statute, authorizes the Port of Brownsville to issue overweight permits within its designated route that includes three bridges: Gateway International Bridge, Veterans International Bridge, and the Free Trade International Bridge. However, the rule adopted in the Texas Administrative Code gives preferential treatment to the Gateway and Veterans bridges.

This legislation seeks to ensure the route is clearly applicable to include both northbound and southbound directions for all three bridges that are currently included in the designated route. This is necessary to prevent any misinterpretation that the route is limited to northbound traffic only and will bring parity amongst the three bridges.

(Original Author's/Sponsor's Statement of Intent)

C.S.S.B. 2841 amends current law relating to the route designation for a permit for the movement of oversize and overweight vehicles that serve a deepwater seaport in a county that borders the United Mexican States.

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 623.219(a), Transportation Code, as follows:

(a) Requires the Texas Transportation Commission, for a permit issued by a port authority located in a county that borders the United Mexican States, to, with the consent of the port authority, designate the most direct route:

(1) between, rather than from:

(A) the Gateway International Bridge or the Veterans International Bridge at Los Tomates and, rather than to, the entrance of the Port of Brownsville using certain highways; and

(B) the Free Trade International Bridge and, rather than to, the entrance of the Port of Brownsville using certain roads; and

(2) from the Free Trade International Bridge to certain locations.

Makes nonsubstantive changes to this subsection.

SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2025.